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wed and during their short talk in the evening。 This evening was to be forever memorable； for it had brought with it the revelation which still； at moments； suddenly made Bernard tremble； but it had also brought him the assurance that Angela cared as little as possible for anything that a chance acquaintance might have said about her。 It is all the more singular； therefore； that one evening； after he had been at Blanquais a fortnight； a train of thought should suddenly have been set in motion in his mind。 It was kindled by no outward occurrence； but by some wandering spark of fancy or of memory； and the immediate effect of it was to startle our hero very much as he had been startled on the evening I have described。 The circumstances were the same； he had wandered down to the beach alone； very late； and he stood looking at the duskily…tumbling sea。 Suddenly the same voice that had spoken before murmured another phrase in the darkness； and it rang upon his ear for the rest of the night。 It startled him； as I have said； at first； then； the next morning； it led him to take his departure for Paris。 During the journey it lingered in his ear； he sat in the corner of the railway…carriage with his eyes closed； abstracted； on purpose to prolong the reverberation。 If it were not true it was at least； as the Italians have it； ben trovato； and it was wonderful how well it bore thinking of。 It bears telling less well； but I can at least give a hint of it。 The theory that Angela hated him had evaporated in her presence； and another of a very different sort had sprung into being。 It fitted a great many of the facts； it explained a great many contradictions； anomalies； mysteries； and it accounted for Miss Vivian's insisting upon her mother's leaving Blanquais at a few hours' notice； even better than the theory of her resentment could have done。 At any rate； it obliterated Bernard's scruples very effectually； and led him on his arrival in Paris to repair instantly to the Rue de Provence。 This street contains more than one banker； but there is one with whom Bernard deemed Mrs。 Vivian most likely to have dealings。 He found he had reckoned rightly； and he had no difficulty in procuring her address。 Having done so； however； he by no means went immediately to see her； he waited a couple of days perhaps to give those obliterated scruples I have spoken of a chance to revive。 They kept very quiet； and it must be confessed that Bernard took no great pains to recall them to life。 After he had been in Paris three days； he knocked at Mrs。 Vivian's door。
CHAPTER XXII
It was opened by the little waiting…maid whom he had seen at Blanquais； and who looked at him very hard before she answered his inquiry。
〃You see I have found Mrs。 Vivian's dwelling； though you would n't give me the address；〃 Bernard said to her； smiling。
〃Monsieur has put some time to it！〃 the young woman answered dryly。 And she informed him that Madame was at home； though Mademoiselle； for whom he had not asked； was not。
Mrs。 Vivian occupied a diminutive apartment at the summit of one of the tall white houses which ornament the neighborhood of the Arc de Triomphe。 The early days of September had arrived； but Paris was still a city of absentees。 The weather was warm and charming； and a certain savour of early autumn in the air was in accord with the somewhat melancholy aspect of the empty streets and closed shutters of this honorable quarter； where the end of the monumental vistas seemed to be curtained with a hazy emanation from the Seine。 It was late in the afternoon when Bernard was ushered into Mrs。 Vivian's little high…nestling drawing…room； and a patch of sunset tints； faintly red； rested softly upon the gilded wall。 Bernard had seen these ladies only in borrowed and provisional abodes； but here was a place where they were really living and which was stamped with their tastes； their habits； their charm。 The little salon was very elegant； it contained a multitude of pretty things； and it appeared to Bernard to be arranged in perfection。 The long windowsthe ceiling being low； they were really very short opened upon one of those solid balconies； occupying the width of the apartment； which are often in Paris a compensation for living up five flights of stairs； and this balcony was filled with flowers and cushions。 Bernard stepped out upon it to await the coming of Mrs。 Vivian； and； as she was not quick to appear； he had time to see that his friends enjoyed a magnificent view。 They looked up at the triumphal Arch； which presented itself at a picturesque angle； and near the green tree…tops of the Champs Elysees； beyond which they caught a broad gleam of the Seine and a glimpse； blue in the distance； of the great towers of Notre Dame。 The whole vast city lay before them and beneath them； with its ordered brilliancy and its mingled aspect of compression and expansion； and yet the huge Parisian murmur died away before it reached Mrs。 Vivian's sky…parlor； which seemed to Bernard the brightest and quietest little habitation he had ever known。
His hostess came rustling in at last； she seemed agitated； she knocked over with the skirt of her dress a little gilded chair which was reflected in the polished parquet as in a sheet of looking…glass。 Mrs。 Vivian had a fixed smileshe hardly knew what to say。
〃I found your address at the banker's；〃 said Bernard。 〃Your maid； at Blanquais； refused to give it to me。〃
Mrs。 Vivian gave him a little lookthere was always more or less of it in her facewhich seemed equivalent to an entreaty that her interlocutor should spare her。
〃Maids are so strange；〃 she murmured； 〃especially the French！〃
It pleased Bernard for the moment not to spare her； though he felt a sort of delight of kindness for her。
〃Your going off from Blanquais so suddenly； without leaving me any explanation； any clue； any message of any sortmade me feel at first as if you did n't wish that I should look you up。 It reminded me of the way you left Badendo you remember？ three years ago。〃
〃Baden was so charmingbut one could n't stay forever；〃 said Mrs。 Vivian。
〃I had a sort of theory one could。 Our life was so pleasant that it seemed a shame to break the spell； and if no one had moved I am sure we might be sitting there now。〃
Mrs。 Vivian stared； still with her little fixed smile。
〃I think we should have had bad weather。〃
〃Very likely；〃 said Bernard； laughing。 〃Nature would have grown jealous of our good…humorof our tranquil happiness。 And after all； here we are together againthat is； some of us。 But I have only my own audacity to thank for it。 I was quite free to believe that you were not at all pleased to see me re…appear and it is only because I am not easy to discourageam indeed probably a rather impudent fellowthat I have ventured to come here to…day。〃
〃I am very glad to see you re…appear； Mr。 Longueville；〃 Mrs。 Vivian declared with the accent of veracity。
〃It was your daughter's idea； then； running away from Blanquais？〃
Mrs。 Vivian lowered her eyes。
〃We were obliged to go to Fontainebleau。 We have but just come back。 I thought of writing to you；〃 she softly added。
〃Ah； what pleasure that would have given me！〃
〃I mean