"No," said Regina, deliberately sitting down by the table, and beginning carefully to peel the gloves off her hands. "No, Alfred, I do not think it was a wave thought. I wanted to come to Paris, and I came." "They are all well at home? You brought Julia with you?" "No, I did not bring Julia; she can come across in a few days by herself." "Ah, yes, we can talk of that later." Then Madame Raumonier made another effort to escape. "I am sure you would like to be alone with madame, your wife. I have quite finished breakfast. If you wish to see me will you intimate through madame the landlady? May I wish you good morning, madame?" Regina rose and ceremoniously shook hands with the Frenchwoman; Alfred bowed, followed her across the room, stayed a moment talking, bowed again, rubbed his hands, and came back with that curious air of a conqueror with which a man meets a woman who is much to him on all occasions after a parting. "Queenie, my darling, thank God that woman's gone. I must apologize to you," and here he put his hand over hers and held it very close, "I must apologize to you for having, of necessity, made her known to you. She is not a person for you to know; she's--she's a woman with a history." "Then, Alfred," said Regina, not moving her hand, but looking at him with eyes which were like the eyes of the angel with the naming sword. "Then, Alfred, if she is not fit for me to know, what does she do here with you?" CHAPTER XXXV THE END OF IT ALL A woman who can prove herself generous and wide-minded is the woman who gets the greatest advantage in every circumstance of life. "How is it," said Regina, "that she is here with you?" The words dropped out one by one. There was a world of torture and suffering, tinged with reproach and bitterness, in Mrs. Whittaker's tones. Alfred Whittaker gave a great start, and drew his wife down to her seat. "Queenie," he said, "you haven't had it in your mind that that creature is anything to me?" "I'm afraid I have," said Regina, and under the comfort of the word "creature" her voice took a softer tone. "That mixture of fire and vulgarity! Oh, my dear!--Come, come, you've been traveling all night, you must have your breakfast. Here is the finest omelette in Paris. I say, waiter, _garçon_, try if you can't get madame a few strawberries to follow the _bifteck Chateaubriand_.--I'm sure, Queenie," he went on as the waiter whisked the cover off and betook himself away, "that a good breakfast is more important to you at this moment than even the state of my morals. You see, I've had my breakfast, so you can hear all about Madame Raumonier while you are taking yours. Now, what could have put it into your head, since you knew I was over here on her business--" "But I didn't," said Regina. "Then what made you come?" The omelette was good and hot, and Regina took two mouthfuls before she answered. "Alfred," she said, "this has been going on for a long time. I know everything."