They returned to the Rue de Bruxelles together. Cosette was dressed in all her afternoon splendour, for the undoing of theatrical managers. The rôle of woman pot-au-feu was finished for that day.
'I'm off to Monte Carlo to-morrow,' said Tom to her. 'I'm going to paint a portrait there. And Henry will come with me.'
'To Monte Carlo?' Henry gasped.
'To Monte Carlo.'
'But——'
'Do you suppose I'm going to leave you here?' Tom inquired. 'And you can't return to London yet.'
'No,' said Cosette thoughtfully, 'not London.'
They left her in the Boulevard de Strasbourg, and then Tom suggested a visit to the Luxembourg Gallery. It was true: a life-sized statue of Sappho, signed 'Dolbiac,' did in feet occupy a prominent place in the sculpture-room. Henry was impressed; so also was Tom, who explained to his young cousin all the beauties of the work.
'What else is there to see here?' Henry asked, when the stream of explanations had slackened.
'Oh, there's nothing much else,' said Tom dejectedly.