Frans Röy sat silent as if he were listening to something far away. Again he heard the sharp cries of fear which thrilled through the air as he drew near, saw the terrified sign to the carriage, felt Mary's trembling body, heard the ejaculation uttered with all her remaining strength, saw her walk on, weeping. All at once he understood! What a stupid, coarse criminal he was! He sat there dumb, miserable. But it was not in his nature to give up. His face soon brightened. "After all, dear Alice, it was only a game." "To her it was more. You are surely not still in doubt as to that?" "She has been pursued before, you mean?" "In many different ways." "Consequently she imagined----?" "Of course. You saw that she did." He did not reply. "But now tell me, my dear Frans--was it not more than a game to you, too? Was it not all-decisive?" He bowed his head, ashamed. Then he walked across the room and came back. "She is a queen. She will not be captured. I should have stopped----?" "You should never have gone after her. And she would have been yours now." Frans seated himself again as if a heavy weight were pressing on his shoulders. "Did she say anything?" asked Alice with a searching look. He would have preferred not to tell, but the question was repeated. "She said that I was no gentleman." Alice declared this to be too bad. Frans then asked if Mary had said anything to her in the carriage. "Not a word. But I spoke. I abused you--well." "She has not referred to the matter since?" Alice shook her head. "Your name is erased from her dictionary, my friend." * * * * * Some days after this Frans received by tube-post a hurried note which informed him that at eleven that morning the two ladies would again be at the exhibition in the Champs Elysées. It was eleven when the note came.