Page:More lives than one.djvu/146



Nelson had gone home, Barham sent for Claudine.

“How is Mrs. Selden?” he asked first.

“She’s a little calmer, sir. But now and then she has a spell—oh, a spell! Half hysterics, half grief. And—I’m sorry, Mr. Barham, but I can’t stay on.”

“What, Claudine, you would desert at this awful crisis?”

“I should never have left Madame Barham, I loved her. But Madame Selden—I do not love.”

“But stay for a time, Claudine, for my sake. What could I do with Madame Selden, without you? She wouldn’t take kindly to a new maid, I’m sure. Stay a month longer, Claudine, at double wages, will you?”

“Yes, Monsieur, I’ll do that. Don’t think me mercenary, but, I want to save up the money for—for”

“I know, Claudine, you’re to be married. Now, tell me, did my wife owe you money—aside from your wages?”

“Yes, Monsieur,” Claudine said, after a slight hesitation.

“How much?”

“Five hundred dollars.”

“Whew! Where did you ever get so much?”

“It was my savings. Madame said if I would lend them for a little bit, she would return it with a large fee—bonus.”

“You will be paid, don’t worry. Claudine, did she say anything else? Did she ever say that if you didn’t lend her what she wanted, she”