Man and Maid

"I saw her outside a wine shop once when I got off the tram at

Auteuil--She was looking at the bottles of port--and I made so as to

pass, and her not see me, but she turned and said friendly

like--'Burton, do you suppose this shop would keep really good port--?'

I said as how I would go in and see, and she came with me--They had some

fairly decent--though too young, Sir Nicholas, and it was thirty-five

francs the bottle--I saw she had not an idea it would be as much as

that--her face fell--Do you know, Sir, I could see she hadn't that much

with her,--it was the day before she's paid you see--her colour came and

went--then she said--'I wonder Burton if you could oblige me with paying

the ten extra francs until to-morrow--I must have the best!'--You may

believe me, Sir Nicholas, I got out my purse quick enough--and then she

thanked me so sweet like--'The Doctor has ordered it for my mother,

Burton,' she said--'and of course she couldn't drink any but the best!'"

"Who on earth can she be, Burton? It does worry me--can't you possibly

find out? I would so like to help them."

"I feel that, Sir--but here's the way I figure it--When gentry lives in

foreign towns and don't seem anxious for you to know their address it

don't seem right like to pry into it."

"Burton, you dear old brick!--well supposing we don't try to pry, but

just try how we can possibly help her--You could certainly be

sympathetic about the brother since she has spoken to you--and surely

something can be done--? I saw her at the Duchesse's you know--do you

suppose she knows her--?"

"I do, Sir Nicholas--I never meant to speak of it, but one day Her Grace

came to see you and you were out and she caught sight of Miss Sharp

through the half open door--and she jumped like a cat, Her Grace did,

'Halthee'--she cried out--or some name like that,--and Miss Sharp

started up and went down the stairs with her--She seemed to be kind of

explaining, and I am not sure that Her Grace was too pleased--."

(Burton thinks all Duchesses should be called "Grace" whether they are

French or English.) "Then we should certainly be able to find out from the Duchesse--."

"Well, I would not be so sure of that Sir Nicholas--You see the Duchesse

is a very kind lady, but she is a lady of the world, and she may have

her reasons."