A Diplomatic Woman
By HUAN MEE
HARPER & BROTHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON M D C C C C
Copyright, 1900, by Sands & Co.
_All rights reserved._
CONTENTS
THE RUSSIAN CIPHER
LE DIABLE
THE ABDUCTED AMBASSADOR
PRINCE FERDINAND'S ENTANGLEMENT
A DEAL WITH CHINA
MONSIEUR ROCHE'S DEFEAT
THE RUSSIAN CIPHER
"Saints defend us!" I pettishly exclaimed. "Is there no one in the world with an atom of brains? I don't want to go as 'Night' or 'Morning,' nor as 'Marguerite' or 'Pierrette,' or 'Madame la Pompadour'; I want something original!" And I stamped my foot to give emphasis to the remark.
"Shall it be as 'Carmen,' madame?"
I sank into a chair in dismay. "Carmen!" This was the creature's idea of originality. It was too ludicrous for anger. I laughed, and then, as I raised my eyes to Madame Virot's indignantly bewildered countenance, my glance fell upon a dress in a wardrobe behind her, and I pointed to it in a flutter of excitement.
"Some one has originality, after all," I cried. "What does that dress represent?"
"An ice palace, madame."
"_Mon Dieu!_ It is superb."
"_Mais oui, madame, c'est magnifique, c'est un miracle_," and then, carried away with enthusiasm, she brought it forth and dilated upon it. A pale green dress, covered with a shimmering, sparkling net-work that looked like frost itself.
"You see, madame, the head-dress forms the snowy pinnacle of the tower, and the _eau de Nil_ embroidered skirt follows the frosted outlines of the building, which is a _fac-simile_ of the ice palace raised last winter upon the Neva. An emerald satin mask, with tiny crystal icicles hanging from the edge, in place of the usual fringe of lace, completes the costume."
"I must have it," I cried; "it is incomparable."
"It is sold, madame."
"I will pay double."
"Impossible!"
"Treble!"
"I would willingly give it to madame, as it pleases her fancy, but I cannot; it was designed according to sketches sent to me."
"Tush!" I impatiently exclaimed; "make a duplicate."
"It is impossible, madame, for the dress is for the same _bal masque_ that you will attend."
"And for whom?" I superciliously queried, for I was beside myself with vexation. "Some nobody who has secured a card by chance, and wishes to be thought a princess in disguise, eh?"
"I make for no such people," Madame Virot exclaimed, with a reflection of my own annoyance. "The dress is for the Countess Zarfine. If madame will suggest something else--"
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Diplomatic Woman by Huan Mee
- 2: That to be commonplace is to be original
- 3: We have varied the cipher three times
- 4: Monsieur Roche suavely remarked
- 5: Men are diplomats by education
- 6: And Therese bore the sensation as I would have done myself
- 7: Gaspard strolled aimlessly in the same direction
- 8: On each cigarette paper was the key
- 9: You have my cigarette under your shoe
- 10: Monsieur Roche tapped him upon the shoulder
- 11: Setting my face resolutely to the wind
- 12: And I had seized the knocker to hammer again
- 13: Truly my host was hopelessly mad
- 14: Sauntered from one chair to another
- 15: And then crept contentedly between the scented sheets
- 16: Of a cruise beneath the sea with a man who
- 17: In an instant the conning tower blazed with light
- 18: A deep green grew lighter and lighter
- 19: With the wrench still in his hand
- 20: THE ABDUCTED AMBASSADOR Monsieur Roche
- 21: And pronounce you the cleverest
- 22: Sir Edward Rivington is an Englishman
- 23: And Sir Edward Rivington had not come to England
- 24: Gaspard raised his eyebrows in surprise
- 25: Sir Edward Rivington was abducted nearly a week ago
- 26: I removed him from his Embassy
- 27: It is merely an exhibition of swordsmanship
- 28: Brusquely interjected Sir Edward
- 29: Keeping time to the distant strains of the waltz
- 30: Monsieur scowled at my covert allusion
- 31: Infatuation gives way to greater temptation
- 32: My servants have gone to seek a blacksmith
- 33: Laughing a strange little laugh
- 34: What a clever little adventuress she was
- 35: We cannot all pretend to rustic innocence
- 36: Your words in the wood an hour since were romance
- 37: Prince Ferdinand of Elvirna cannot wed a nobody
- 38: Make known his coming alliance with no less a lady than Rene
- 39: And walked to where Monsieur Roche was waiting
- 40: And so There is only Gaspard
- 41: To regain the seal is utterly impossible
- 42: But could only gaze into the face of Ling Wen
- 43: I caught sight of that trinket when it dropped
- 44: Ling Wen nodded ever so slightly
- 45: Hun Sun delivered it to Monsieur Roche
- 46: Perhaps France can pay more than Russia
- 47: Your deduction that I killed Hun Sun
- 48: You are anxious to defend Gaspard
- 49: The Countess Renaze was departing for London
- 50: I have just left Monsieur Roche
- 51: Why should Monsieur Roche open the packet to day
- 52: Was that eternal book on Martinique
- 53: And had him transferred to Martinique
- 54: And I am charged with the theft
- 55: That I sent Monsieur Desormes's confession to Monsieur Roche
- 56: And prove the innocence of Gaspard
- 57: Illustrated by Frederic Remington
- 58: The adventures of sherlock holmes