As if by mutual agreement she and Mrs. Jula had avoided each other since that evening of confidences. And now, without having announced her visit, here she stood, wearing her most cordial expression, and asking for a brief interview. Lilly hesitated. "Really I shan't keep you long, my dear. I understand--you're expecting some one." "Not that I know of," replied Lilly, aware she was blushing. "Don't deny it. Dr. Salmoni is coming. I know the joke. I once stood the same way, pale one instant, the next instant red, and waited for him. The only difference is, my house gown wasn't such an angelic red. I was plain Bordeaux red. All the same to him. He takes us in Bordeaux red, too."' "What do you mean?" Lilly faltered. "What do I mean? Do you know what our circle with all our pretty legères women is to Dr. Salmoni? It's a sort of fishing pool, where he angles from time to time to land something for which he just then happens to have an appetite. There you have it, my dear!" "That's slander!" cried Lilly, flaring up. "He's never made approaches to me. We've never so much as mentioned the word love to each other." "No need," replied Mrs. Jula, and laughed exultingly. "He doesn't bother with such petty things. He knows when the time comes we shall swim into his net without it." Lilly felt herself getting still angrier. "We've always spoken of pure, noble things, of a proud humanity. And if you and your like cannot understand his language, if you insist--" "One moment, my dear," Mrs. Jula interrupted her. "No need to be insulting. I came to you out of good motives. As for the others--it was _toute même chose_ to me. I even licked my chops. But _you_, I love you, even if you don't want to have anything to do with me. _You_ he's to leave as you are. And last night, when I saw how far things had gone, I couldn't quiet down. I had to come to you before he--" "Really, you're mistaken," said Lilly, though unable to refrain from a furtive glance at the clock. Mrs. Jula, upon whom the glance was not lost, made a little grimace. "Never mind. When the bell rings I'll slide out through the guest room. But before then I am in hopes of having completed my work. See here, child"--she seated herself at one end of the sofa and drew Lilly down beside her--"why, all of us poor women crave to rise again, or once did, when like you we were tolerably faithful to the one. At the psychological moment, enter Dr. Salmoni. He doesn't have to work so hard for some of us, but he seems to like it. He must first salivate on us like an adder on a sparrow. He has various methods. With a cold mug like Karla, of course, he behaves very differently from the way he behaves with such as you or me. To us he says in the beginning: 'I cannot get over my astonishment at seeing you in these surroundings. Tell me, what seek you here?'" Lilly started. "Well, did he, or didn't he?" "Yes--but--"