Beyond the Rocks

"You can do a great deal of mischief in a week," Mrs. McBride said,

looking at him again critically. "I ought not to help you, but I can't

resist you--there! What can we devise?"

It is possible the probability of Theodora's father making a fourth may

have had something thing to do with her complaisance. Anyway, it was

decided that if feasible the four should spend a day at Versailles.

They should go in their two automobiles in time for breakfast at the

Réservoirs. They would start, Theodora in Mrs. McBride's with her, and

Captain Fitzgerald with Lord Bracondale, and each couple could spend the

afternoon as they pleased, dining again at the Réservoirs and whirling

back to Paris in the moonlight. A truly rural and refreshing programme,

good for the soul of man.

"And I can rely upon you to get rid of the husband?" said Lord

Bracondale, finally. "I do not see the poetry of the affair with his

bald head and mutton-chop whiskers as an accessory."

"Leave that to Captain Fitzgerald and myself," Mrs. McBride said,

proudly. "I have a scheme that Mr. Brown shall spend the day with

Clutterbuck R. Tubbs, examining some new machinery they are both

interested in. Leave it to me!" The part of Deus ex machina was always

a rôle the widow loved.

Then they descended to an agreeable lunch in the restaurant, with a

numerous party of her friends as usual, and Lord Bracondale felt

afterwards full of joy and hope, to continue his sinful path

unrepenting.

The days that intervened before Theodora saw him again were uneventful

and full of blankness. The walks in the Bois appeared more tedious than

ever in the morning, the drives in the Acacias more exasperating. It was

a continual alertness to see if she caught sight of a familiar face, but

she never did. Fate was against them, as she sometimes is when she means

to compensate soon after by some glorious day of the gods. And although

Lord Bracondale called at her hotel and walked where he thought he

should see her, and even drove in the Acacias, they had no meeting.

Josiah did not feel himself sufficiently strong to stand the air of

theatres, and they went nowhere in the evenings. He was keeping himself

for his own dinner-party, which was to take place at the Madrid on the

Monday.

Captain Fitzgerald had arranged it, and besides Mrs. McBride several of

his friends were coming, and a special band of wonderfully talented

Tziganes, who were delighting Paris that year, had been engaged to play

to them. If only the weather should remain fine all would be well.