"Shall we go out to the top of the dome?" he suggested.
They rose.
And at that juncture Camilla reappeared.
The greeting between the Paris friends was commendably calm, but neither seemed to be able to speak freely. And at length Camilla said she would get a cloak and follow them to the belvidere.
The two men climbed to the summit which dominated the City of Pleasure.
To the east the famous roof restaurant glittered and jingled under the moon. To the west the Great Wheel was outlined in flame--a symbol of the era. Hugo told Darcy the history of the night in the cemetery, and what preceded, and what came after it, including the strange death of Ravengar in a lunatic asylum, and how everything was explained or explicable--even Mr. Brown, the manager of the Safe Deposit, had run up against justice in Caracas--save and except the ident.i.ty of Ravengar"s accomplice during the last days. He was enlarging upon the inscrutability of that part of the affair, and upon the interest which it lent to the whole episode, when Darcy, who had not been listening, broke in upon his observation with an inapposite remark which obviously sprang from deep feeling.
"She"s simply marvellous!" cried Darcy.
"Who?"
"Your wife. Simply marvellous! I had no idea--in Paris--"
"Recollect, you are not in love with her, my friend," Hugo laughed.
"She must have the best blood in her veins. With that style, that carriage, she surely must be--"
"My dear fellow," said Hugo, "beauty has no rank. It bloweth where it listeth. It is the one thing in the world that you can"t account for.
You"ve only got to be thankful for it when it blows your way, that"s all."
A white figure appeared in the cavity of the steps leading to the circular gallery.
"What are you talking about?" Camilla inquired.
"Women," said Hugo.
THE END
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
NOVELS.
A MAN FROM THE NORTH.
ANNA OF THE FIVE TOWNS.
LEONORA.
A GREAT MAN.
SACRED AND PROFANE LOVE.
FANTASIAS.
THE GRAND BABYLON HOTEL.
THE GATES OF WRATH.
TERESA OF WATLING STREET.
THE LOOT OF CITIES
SHORT STORIES.
TALES OF THE FIVE TOWNS.
BELLES LETTRES.
JOURNALISM FOR WOMEN.
FAME AND FICTION.
HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHOR.
THE TRUTH ABOUT AN AUTHOR.
DRAMA.
POLITE FARCES.