It was at their third interview that his star shone again, and again dazzled him to indiscreetness. He told the beautiful lady exactly why he wanted to know all that she could tell him about the Jew financier. The beautiful lady clapped her hands till all her gold bangles rattled musically, and said-- "But I will tell you all--everything! I felt that you wished to know--but I thought ... however ... are you sure it will all be in your paper?" "But yes, Madame!" said he. Then she folded her hands on the greeny satin lap of her tea-gown, and told him many things. And as she spoke he pieced things together, and was aware that she spoke the truth. When she had finished speaking, his mission was almost accomplished. His luck had done all this for him. The lady promised even documents and evidence. Then he thanked her, and she said-- "No thanks, please. I suppose this will ruin him?" "I'm afraid it will," said he. She gave a little sigh of contentment. "But why--?" he asked. "I don't mind, somehow, telling _you_ anything," she said, and indeed as it seemed with some truth. "He--he did me the honour to admire me--and now he has behaved like the pig he is." "And so you have betrayed him--told me the things he told you when he loved you?" She snapped her fingers, and the opals and rubies of her rings shone like fire. "Love!" she said scornfully. Then he began to be a little ashamed and sorry for his part in this adventure, and he said so. "Ah--don't be sorry," she said softly. "I _wanted_ to betray him. I was simply longing to do it--only I couldn't think of the right person to betray him to! But you are the right person, Monsieur. I am indeed fortunate!" A little shiver ran through him. But he had gone too far to retreat. "And the documents, Madame?" "I will give you them to-morrow. There is a ball at the American Embassy. I can get you a card." "I have one." He had indeed made it his first business to get one--was not the Girl with the Guitar an American, and could he dare to waste the least light chance of seeing her again? "Well--be there at twelve, and you shall have everything. But," she looked sidelong at him, "will Monsieur be very kind--very attentive--in short, devote himself to me--for this one evening? _He_ will be there." He murmured something banal about the devotion of a lifetime, and went away to his lodging in a remote suburb, which he had chosen because he loved boating. The next night at twelve saw him lounging, a gloomy figure, on a seat in an ante-room at the Embassy. He knew that the Lady was within, yet he could not go to her. He sat there despairingly, trying to hope that even now something might happen to save him. Yet, as it seemed, nothing short of a miracle could. But his star shone, and the miracle happened. For, as he sat, a radiant vision, all white lace and diamonds, detached itself from the arm of a grey-bearded gentleman, and floated towards him.