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discontent of the Midi; but Irma didn't mind especially, because she had the money, and had

the instinctive feeling that the more the family was dependent upon-her, the more agreeable

they would make themselves. Who eats my bread, he sings my song!

A surprising incident. One afternoon Lanny was in his studio, playing that very grand piano

which he had bought for Kurt, but which was beginning to show the effects of a decade of sea air.

A sunshiny afternoon of spring; Lanny had the doors and windows open, and was filling the

surrounding atmosphere with the strains of Rubinstein's Waltz Caprice. The telephone rang,

for they now had phones in all the buildings on the estate; to Irma it had seemed ridiculous to

have to send a servant every time she wished to invite Beauty over to the Cottage for lunch, or

when she wanted to tell Lanny to come swimming. Now a servant was calling from the villa,

reporting that there was an elderly gentleman who said his name was "Monsieur Jean". Lanny

wasn't usually slow, but this time he had to have the name repeated. Suddenly he remembered

the town of Dieppe.

The Knight Commander of the Bath and Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor had held off for

the better part of a year, until Lanny had given up the idea of hearing from him. It seemed

hard to believe, for Zaharoff was bound to know that he had got something real at that seance

—and how could he bear not to get more? At last he had decided to give way, and

characteristically he wasn't taking half-measures; he had come in person, the first time he had

ever thus honored the Budd family. He honored very few persons in that manner.

"Monsieur Jean" was alone. He had seated himself on the edge of a straight chair, as if he

wasn't sure that he would be welcomed; he had kept his walking-stick, and was leaning on it

with both hands folded over it. The cold blue eyes met Lanny's. Was Lanny mistaken in

thinking that there was an anxious look on the face of the old spider, the old wolf, the old

devil? Anyhow, the younger man greeted his caller with cordiality, and the latter said quickly:

"For a long time I have known that I owed you an apology."

"Don't bother about it, Monsieur Jean," said the younger man. He used that name because

some servant might overhear. "I realized that you were upset. Several times in these seances I

have been told things which didn't happen to be true, and which would have been

embarrassing if there had been others present." Nothing could have been more tactful.

"I should have written to you," continued the other. "But I put it off, thinking you might

come to see me."

"I had no way of knowing what your wishes would be." To himself Lanny added: "You were

trying other mediums, to see if you could get what you want!"

"I decided that the proper thing to do was to make my apologies in person. I will make them

to the medium, if she is still with you."

"She is." Lanny would wait, and make the old man ask for what he wanted.

"Do you suppose it would be possible for me to see her again?"

"You mean, to try another seance?"

"I would esteem it a great favor."

"I can't answer for her, Monsieur Jean. As I explained at the time, it causes her distress if

anything goes wrong. She was very much upset."

"I realize that. I am thoroughly prepared now, and can give you my word that nothing of the

sort will happen again. Whatever comes, I will 'take it,' as you Americans say."

"Perhaps," suggested Lanny, "you might prefer to sit with her alone?"

"If she will trust me, that would be better. You may tell her that I will pay her generously."

"I would beg you not to mention that. We have a financial arrangement with her, and her

time is ours."

"Surely it would be proper for me to pay a portion of the cost?"

"There is no need to raise the question. The amount is small— and you may not get the

results you want."

"If I should get them, and if I might see her now and then, you will surely let me make some

financial arrangement?"

"We can talk about that by and by. First, I will see if I can persuade her to give you another

sitting."

"You have not told her about me?"

"I haven't told anybody. You remember I wrote you that that was my intention."

"You have been very kind, Lanny, and I shall never forget it."

XI

It wasn't an easy matter to persuade Madame Zyszynski. She was still angry with "that rude

old gentleman." What he had done to her was unforgivable. But Lanny told her that the rude

old gentleman had been extremely unhappy, and something had come from Tecumseh which

had broken him down; it had taken him nearly a year to get over it. But now he was penitent,

and had given his word, and Lanny felt sure he would keep it. Madame was used to trusting

Lanny—she was a lonely old woman, and had adopted him as her son in her imagination. Now

she said she would give Monsieur Jean another chance to behave, but first Lanny must explain

to him the physical shock which he had caused her, that she had been ill and depressed for