No, she was provincial--though, of a truth, Paris was so well known to her that she might almost claim to be _Parisienne_.' The boy's interest was undiminished.

'Might he venture to ask if it was pleasure alone that had brought madame to the capital--or had business-- ?' He left the sentence discreetly unfinished.
Madame pushed her empty plate away and took a toothpick from the table.
'How observant was monsieur!' She eyed the bright young face with growing approval.

'Yes, business, alas, was the pivot of her visit! This terrible business--exacting so much, giving so little in return!' She heaved a weighty sigh, then her fat face melted into smiles.

'But after all, what would you ?' She shrugged her ample shoulders, and the toothpick came into full play.
'What would you, indeed ?' The boy began to feel a little disconcerted under her glance of slow approval, and a swift sense of relief passed through him as the door opened and the waiter reappeared, carrying the two eggs.
'What would you, indeed?
One must live!' Madame, disregarding the waiter, continued to study the boyish face--the curious dark-gray eyes, in which the morning sun was discovering little flecks of gold.

'And every year conditions were becoming harder, as monsieur doubtless knew.' Monsieur nodded his head sagely, and began to eat his eggs with keen zest.
Madame looked slowly round at the waiter and ordered coffee, then her glance returned to the boy.
'How good, how refreshing it was to see him eat! How easy to comprehend that he was young!' She sighed again, this time more softly.