That evening, a few minutes before nine o'clock, I descended from a
cab in front of No. 8 Rue d'Alouette, and was ushered into a pretty
reception-room by an irreproachable servant, who disappeared directly
with my card.
In a few moments the young Countess came in, exquisite in her silvery
dinner-gown, eyes bright, white arms extended in a charming, impulsive
welcome. The touch of her silky fingers thrilled me; I was dumb under
the enchantment of her beauty; and I think she understood my silence,
for her blue eyes became troubled and the happy parting of her lips
changed to a pensive curve.
Presently I began to tell her about my bronzed-green feather; at my
first word she looked up brightly, almost gratefully, I fancied; and
in another moment we were deep in eager discussion of the subject
which had first drawn us together.
What evidence I possessed to sustain our theory concerning the
existence of the ux I hastened to reveal; then, heart beating
excitedly, I asked her about the eggs and where they were at present,
and whether she believed it possible to bring them to Paris--all these
questions in the same breath--which brought a happy light into her
eyes and a delicious ripple of laughter to her lips.
"Why, of course it is possible to bring the eggs here," she cried. "Am
I sure? Parbleu! The eggs are already here, monsieur!"
"Here!" I exclaimed. "In Paris?"
"In Paris? Mais oui; and in my own house--_this very house_, monsieur.
Come, you shall behold them with your own eyes!"
Her eyes were brilliant with excitement; impulsively she stretched out
her rosy hand. I took it; and she led me quickly back through the
drawing-room, through the dining-room, across the butler's pantry, and
into a long, dark hallway. We were almost running now--I keeping tight
hold of her soft little hand, she, raising her gown a trifle, hurrying
down the hallway, silken petticoats rustling like a silk banner in the
wind. A turn to the right brought us to the cellar-stairs; down we
hastened, and then across the cemented floor towards a long,
glass-fronted shelf, pierced with steam-pipes.
"A match," she whispered, breathlessly.