Then she dropped the curtain behind Gaston de Stainville, and, as an additional precaution, lest those two in there should be interrupted too soon, she closed the heavy folding doors which further divided the boudoir from the corridor.
"Now, if milady plays her cards cleverly," she murmured, "she and I will have done a useful evening's work."
CHAPTER VI
A FALSE POSITION
"Gaston!"
M. de Stainville shook off his moodiness. The vision of la belle Irène standing there in the satin-hung boudoir, the soft glow of well-shaded candles shedding an elusive, rosy light on the exquisite figure, with head thrown back and arms stretched out in a gesture of passionate appeal, was too captivating to permit of any other thought having sway over his brain, for the next second or two at any rate.
"I thought you had completely forgotten me to-night," she said as he came rapidly toward her, "and that I should not even get speech of you."
She took his hand and led him gently to a low divan; forcing him to sit down beside her, she studied his face intently for a moment or two.
"Was it necessary?" she asked abruptly.
"You know it was, Irène," he said, divining her thoughts, plunging readily enough now into the discussion which he knew was inevitable. His whole nature rebelled against this situation; he felt a distinct lowering of his manly pride; his masterful spirit chafed at the thought of an explanation which Irène claimed the right to demand.