Solange spoke of an author who, she said, had the gift of tears.
"A pretty gift!" said Philippe. "Tears in life are not worth much. But in art I know nothing more disgusting than to collect them in a bottle."
The ladies cried out at this. Madame Villard said that tears were one of the pleasures of life, and Solange said they were an ornament of the soul.
"Well, how about you, don't you protest?" he asked Annette. "Do you too get your supplies from the property-man?"
"I have enough of my own," she said. "I have no need of other people's."
"You live on your capital?"
"Can you suggest any way for me to get rid of them?"
"Be hard!"
"I'm learning," she replied.
He threw her a brief sidelong glance.