And you shall have," I added, "some of your favourite Veuve Cliquot." "It will be charming," said Judith, politely.
In fact, politeness has been the dominant note of her attitude to-day, a sober restraint of manner such as she would adopt when rather tired towards an ordinary acquaintance.

Has she reconciled herself to the inevitable and taken this Empire frolic as a graceful method of showing it?
I should like to believe so, but the course is scarcely consistent with that motor of illogic which she is pleased to call her temperament.
I am puzzled.
Her smile as we parted sent a chill through me, being the smile of a mask instead of a woman's face; and it was not the face of Judith.

I don't anticipate much merriment tomorrow evening.
At Carlotta's suggestion, I have sent a line to Pasquale to ask him to join us.

His gay wit will lend to the entertainment a specious air of revelry which Carlotta will take as genuine.
I have often thought lately of the hopeless passion of Alfonso the Magnanimous of Naples, as set forth by Pope Pius II in his Commentaries; for I am beginning to take a morbid interest in the unhappy love affairs of other men and to institute comparisons.

If they have lived through the torment, why should not I?
But Alfonso sighed for Lucrezia d'Alagna, a beautiful chaste statue of ice who loved him; whereas I crave the warm-blooded thing that is mine for the taking, but no more loves me than she loves the policeman who salutes her on his beat.