"Say no more about it, mademoiselle."
"I may think about it, I suppose," she suggested, with affected satire.
"There,—tell me about the pipes."
"Oh, yes. Well, you know how men hate to part with old pipes? And they are, therefore, my valuable presents, monsieur."
"Truly! I never thought of that."
"No?"
"And the pictures?"
"Scraps from the studios."
He got up and examined the sketches on the walls. They were from pen, pencil, and brush, from as many artists,—some quite good and showing more or less budding genius. He paused some time before the head of his entertainer.
"It is very good,—admirable!" he said.