"Will Madame give herself the trouble to sit down? Would it be permitted to offer Madame something--a little glass of sugared water? No? I regret infinitely not having known that Madame was suffering. I should have acted otherwise." "What have you done?" she asked quickly. "You haven't told anyone that I was here that night?" "Do not believe it for an instant," said the woman reassuringly. "'No--after Madame's goodness I held myself wholly at the disposition of Madame. But when the day appointed passed itself without your visit, I said to myself: 'The little affaire has ceased to interest this lady; she is weary of it!' My grateful heart found itself free to acknowledge the kindness of others." "Tell me exactly," said Lady St. Craye, "what you have done." "It was but last week," the concierge went on, rearranging a stiff bouquet in exactly the manner of an embarrassed ingénue on the stage, "but only last week that I received a letter from Mademoiselle Desmond. She sent me her address." She paused. Lady St. Craye laid the bank note on the table. "Madame wants the address?" "I have the address. I want to know whether you have given it to anyone else." "No, Madame," said the concierge with simple pride, "when you have given a thing you have it not any longer." "Well--pardon me--have you sold it?" "For the same good reason, no, Madame." "Take the note," said Lady St. Craye, "and tell me what you have done with the address." "This gentleman, whom Madame did not wish to know that she had been here that night--" "I didn't wish _anyone_ to know!" "Perfectly: this gentleman comes without ceasing to ask of me news of Mademoiselle Desmond. And always I have no news. But when Mademoiselle writes me: 'I am at the hotel such and such--send to me, I pray you, letters if there are any of them,'--then when Monsieur makes his eternal demand I reply: 'I have now the address of Mademoiselle,--not to give, but to send her letters. If Monsieur had the idea to cause to be expedited a little billet? I am all at the service of Monsieur.'" "So he wrote to her. Have you sent on the letter?" "Alas, yes!" replied the concierge with heartfelt regret. "I kept it during a week, hoping always to see Madame--but yesterday, even, I put it at the post. Otherwise.... I beg Madame to have the goodness to understand that I attach myself entirely to her interests. You may rely on me." "It is useless," said Lady St. Craye; "the affair _is_ ceasing to interest me." "Do not say that. Wait only a little till you have heard. It is not only Monsieur that occupies himself with Mademoiselle. Last night arrives an aunt; also a father. They ask for Mademoiselle, are consternated when they learn of her departing. They run all Paris at the research of her. The father lodges at the Haute Loire. He is a priest it appears. Madame the aunt occupies the ancient apartment of Mademoiselle Desmond." "An instant," said Lady St. Craye; "let me reflect."