She knew that she hadn't it in her veins, that she was very much an actress, except in this man's company, when she was mostly natural--as natural as one can be who has a painful secret.

They had talked together--for how many hours?
She knew exactly.

And he had never descended to that which--she felt instinctively--he would not have shown to the ladies of his English world.

She knew what ladies were.

In her first few weeks in Paris, her fame mounting, she had lunched with some distinguished people, who entertained her as they would have done one of her lions, if that were possible.