Man and Maid

"No, Maurice--" and I poured out a second glass of port for him--Burton

had left us alone by now--. "Miss Sharp does not know that I exist--she

is simply here to do her work, and is the best secretary any man could

want--I knew Coralie would infect you with some silly idea."

Maurice sipped his port.--"Coralie said that in spite of the girl's

glasses there was some air of distinction about her--as she walked

on--and that she knew and felt you were interested."

I remained undisturbed.

"I am, immensely interested--I want to know who she really is. She is a

lady--even a lady of our world.--I mean she knows about things in

England--where she has never been--that she could not possibly know

unless her family had spoken of them always. She has that unconscious

air of familiarity and ease with subjects which would surprise you.

Can't you find anything out for me, old boy, as to who she is?"

"I will certainly try--Sharp?--it is not a name of the great

world--no--?"

"Of course that is not her real name--"

"Why not ask her yourself, Mon brave!"

"I'd like to find a man with pluck enough to ask her anything she did

not wish him to!"

"That little girl!--but she appeared meek and plain, and respectable,

Nicholas--You intrigue me!"

"Well, put your wits to work Maurice, and promise me you will not talk

to the others about anything. I shall be very angry if you do."

He gave me every assurance he would be silent as the grave--and then he

changed the topic to that of Suzette--He was sorry I had given her her

congé, because I would find it hard to replace her--Those so honest and

really not too rapacious, were very difficult to find--Since he had

heard that Suzette was no longer my little friend, he had been looking

out for me, but as yet had seen nothing suitable!!

"You need not trouble, Maurice," I told him, "I am absolutely finished

with that part of my life--I loathe the whole idea of it now--."

Maurice inspected me with grave concern--.

"My dear chap--this appears serious--You are not in love with your

secretary are you?--or is it possible that you are bluffing, and that

she has replaced Suzette, and you wish tranquility about the subject?"

I felt a hot flush mounting to my forehead--The very thought of my

adored little girl in the category of Suzette!--I could have struck my

old friend--but I had just sense enough to reason things. Maurice was

only speaking as any of the Paris world would speak. A secretary, whom a

man was obviously interested in, was certainly not out of the running

for the post of "Maitresse-en-titre!"