THE　SPHINX　WITHOUT　A　SECRET
  ONE　afternoon　I　was　sitting　outside　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix；　watching
  the　splendour　and　shabbiness　of　Parisian　life；　and　wondering　over
  my　vermouth　at　the　strange　panorama　of　pride　and　poverty　that　was
  passing　before　me；　when　I　heard　some　one　call　my　name。　　I　turned
  round；　and　saw　Lord　Murchison。　　We　had　not　met　since　we　had　been　at
  college　together；　nearly　ten　years　before；　so　I　was　delighted　to
  come　across　him　again；　and　we　shook　hands　warmly。　　At　Oxford　we　had
  been　great　friends。　　I　had　liked　him　immensely；　he　was　so　handsome；
  so　high…spirited；　and　so　honourable。　　We　used　to　say　of　him　that　he
  would　be　the　best　of　fellows；　if　he　did　not　always　speak　the　truth；
  but　I　think　we　really　admired　him　all　the　more　for　his　frankness。
  I　found　him　a　good　deal　changed。　　He　looked　anxious　and　puzzled；
  and　seemed　to　be　in　doubt　about　something。　　I　felt　it　could　not　be
  modern　scepticism；　for　Murchison　was　the　stoutest　of　Tories；　and
  believed　in　the　Pentateuch　as　firmly　as　he　believed　in　the　House　of
  Peers；　so　I　concluded　that　it　was　a　woman；　and　asked　him　if　he　was
  married　yet。
  'I　don't　understand　women　well　enough；'　he　answered。
  'My　dear　Gerald；'　I　said；　'women　are　meant　to　be　loved；　not　to　be
  understood。'
  'I　cannot　love　where　I　cannot　trust；'　he　replied。
  'I　believe　you　have　a　mystery　in　your　life；　Gerald；'　I　exclaimed；
  'tell　me　about　it。'
  'Let　us　go　for　a　drive；'　he　answered；　'it　is　too　crowded　here。　　No；
  not　a　yellow　carriage；　any　other　colour　…　there；　that　dark　green
  one　will　do'；　and　in　a　few　moments　we　were　trotting　down　the
  boulevard　in　the　direction　of　the　Madeleine。
  'Where　shall　we　go　to？'　I　said。
  'Oh；　anywhere　you　like！'　he　answered　…　'to　the　restaurant　in　the
  Bois；　we　will　dine　there；　and　you　shall　tell　me　all　about
  yourself。'
  'I　want　to　hear　about　you　first；'　I　said。　　'Tell　me　your　mystery。'
  He　took　from　his　pocket　a　little　silver…clasped　morocco　case；　and
  handed　it　to　me。　　I　opened　it。　　Inside　there　was　the　photograph　of
  a　woman。　　She　was　tall　and　slight；　and　strangely　picturesque　with
  her　large　vague　eyes　and　loosened　hair。　　She　looked　like　a
  CLAIRVOYANTE；　and　was　wrapped　in　rich　furs。
  'What　do　you　think　of　that　face？'　he　said；　'is　it　truthful？'
  I　examined　it　carefully。　　It　seemed　to　me　the　face　of　some　one　who
  had　a　secret；　but　whether　that　secret　was　good　or　evil　I　could　not
  say。　　Its　beauty　was　a　beauty　moulded　out　of　many　mysteries　…　the
  beauty；　in　fact；　which　is　psychological；　not　plastic　…　and　the
  faint　smile　that　just　played　across　the　lips　was　far　too　subtle　to
  be　really　sweet。
  'Well；'　he　cried　impatiently；　'what　do　you　say？'
  'She　is　the　Gioconda　in　sables；'　I　answered。　　'Let　me　know　all
  about　her。'
  'Not　now；'　he　said；　'after　dinner；'　and　began　to　talk　of　other
  things。
  When　the　waiter　brought　us　our　coffee　and　cigarettes　I　reminded
  Gerald　of　his　promise。　　He　rose　from　his　seat；　walked　two　or　three
  times　up　and　down　the　room；　and；　sinking　into　an　armchair；　told　me
  the　following　story：…
  'One　evening；'　he　said；　'I　was　walking　down　Bond　Street　about　five
  o'clock。　　There　was　a　terrific　crush　of　carriages；　and　the　traffic
  was　almost　stopped。　　Close　to　the　pavement　was　standing　a　little
  yellow　brougham；　which；　for　some　reason　or　other；　attracted　my
  attention。　　As　I　passed　by　there　looked　out　from　it　the　face　I
  showed　you　this　afternoon。　　It　fascinated　me　immediately。　　All　that
  night　I　kept　thinking　of　it；　and　all　the　next　day。　　I　wandered　up
  and　down　that　wretched　Row；　peering　into　every　carriage；　and
  waiting　for　the　yellow　brougham；　but　I　could　not　find　MA　BELLE
  INCONNUE；　and　at　last　I　began　to　think　she　was　merely　a　dream。
  About　a　week　afterwards　I　was　dining　with　Madame　de　Rastail。
  Dinner　was　for　eight　o'clock；　but　at　half…past　eight　we　were　still
  waiting　in　the　drawing…room。　　Finally　the　servant　threw　open　the
  door；　and　announced　Lady　Alroy。　　It　was　the　woman　I　had　been
  looking　for。　　She　came　in　very　slowly；　looking　like　a　moonbeam　in
  grey　lace；　and；　to　my　intense　delight；　I　was　asked　to　take　her　in
  to　dinner。　　After　we　had　sat　down；　I　remarked　quite　innocently；　〃I
  think　I　caught　sight　of　you　in　Bond　Street　some　time　ago；　Lady
  Alroy。〃　　She　grew　very　pale；　and　said　to　me　in　a　low　voice；　〃Pray
  do　not　talk　so　loud；　you　may　be　overheard。〃　　I　felt　miserable　at
  having　made　such　a　bad　beginning；　and　plunged　recklessly　into　the
  subject　of　the　French　plays。　　She　spoke　very　little；　always　in　the
  same　low　musical　voice；　and　seemed　as　if　she　was　afraid　of　some　one
  listening。　　I　fell　passionately；　stupidly　in　love；　and　the
  indefinable　atmosphere　of　mystery　that　surrounded　her　excited　my
  most　ardent　curiosity。　　When　she　was　going　away；　which　she　did　very
  soon　after　dinner；　I　asked　her　if　I　might　call　and　see　her。　　She
  hesitated　for　a　moment；　glanced　round　to　see　if　any　one　was　near
  us；　and　then　said；　〃Yes；　to…morrow　at　a　quarter　to　five。〃　　I　begged
  Madame　de　Rastail　to　tell　me　about　her；　but　all　that　I　could　learn
  was　that　she　was　a　widow　with　a　beautiful　house　in　Park　Lane；　and
  as　some　scientific　bore　began　a　dissertation　on　widows；　as
  exemplifying　the　survival　of　the　matrimonially　fittest；　I　left　and
  went　home。
  'The　next　day　I　arrived　at　Park　Lane　punctual　to　the　moment；　but
  was　told　by　the　butler　that　Lady　Alroy　had　just　gone　out。　　I　went
  down　to　the　club　quite　unhappy　and　very　much　puzzled；　and　after
  long　consideration　wrote　her　a　letter；　asking　if　I　might　be　allowed
  to　try　my　chance　some　other　afternoon。　　I　had　no　answer　for　several
  days；　but　at　last　I　got　a　little　note　saying　she　would　be　at　home
  on　Sunday　at　four　and　with　this　extraordinary　postscript：　　〃Please
  do　not　write　to　me　here　again；　I　will　explain　when　I　see　you。〃　　On
  Sunday　she　received　me；　and　was　perfectly　charming；　but　when　I　was
  going　away　she　begged　of　me；　if　I　ever　had　occasion　to　write　to　her
  again；　to　address　my　letter　to　〃Mrs。　Knox；　care　of　Whittaker's
  Library；　Green　Street。〃　　〃There　are　reasons；〃　she　said；　〃why　I
  cannot　receive　letters　in　my　own　house。〃
  'All　through　the　season　I　saw　a　great　deal　of　her；　and　the
  atmosphere　of　mystery　never　left　her。　　Sometimes　I　thought　that　she
  was　in　the　power　of　some　man；　but　she　looked　so　unapproachable；
  that　I　could　not　believe　it。　　It　was　really　very　difficult　for　me
  to　come　to　any　conclusion；　for　she　was　like　one　of　those　strange
  crystals　that　one　sees　in　museums；　which　are　at　one　moment　clear；
  and　at　another　clouded。　　At　last　I　determined　to　ask　her　to　be　my
  wife：　　I　was　sick　and　tired　of　the　incessant　secrecy　that　she
  imposed　on　all　my　visits；　and　on　the　few　letters　I　sent　her。　　I
  wrote　to　her　at　the　library　to　ask　her　if　she　could　see　me　the
  following　Monday　at　six。　　She　answered　yes；　and　I　was　in　the
  seventh　heaven　of　delight。　　I　was　infatuated　with　her：　　in　spite　of
  the　mystery；　I　thought　then　…　in　consequence　of　it；　I　see　now。　　No；
  it　was　the　woman　herself　I　loved。　　The　mystery　troubled　me；
  maddened　me。　　Why　did　chance　put　me　in　its　track？'
  'You　discovered　it；　then？'　I　cried。
  'I　fear　so；'　he　answered。　　'You　can　judge　for　yourself。'
  'When　Monday　came　round　I　went　to　lunch　with　my　uncle；　and　about
  four　o'clock　found　myself　in　the　Marylebone　Road。　　My　uncle；　you
  know；　lives　in　Regent's　Park。　　I　wanted　to　get　to　Piccadilly；　and
  took　a　short　cut　through　a　lot　of　shabby　little　streets。　　Suddenly
  I　saw　in　front　of　me　Lady　Alroy；　deeply　veiled　and　walking　very
  fast。　　On　coming　to　the　last　house　in　the　street；　she　went　up　the
  steps；　took　out　a　latch…key；　and　let　herself　in。　　〃Here　is　the
  mystery；〃　I　said　to　myself；　and　I　hurried　on　and　examined　the
  house。　　It　seemed　a　sort　of　place　for　letting　lodgings。　　On　the
  doorstep　lay　her　handkerchief；　which　she　had　dropped。　　I　picked　it
  up　and　put　it　in　my　pocket。　　Then　I　began　to　consider　what　I　should
  do。　　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　I　had　no　right　to　spy　on　her；
  and　I　drove　down　to　the　club。　　At　six　I　called　to　see　her。　　She　was
  lying　on　a　sofa；　in　a　tea…gown　of　silver　tissue　looped　up　by　some
  strange　moonstones　that　she　always　wore。　　She　was　looking　quite
  lovely。　　〃I　am　so　glad　to　see　you；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　not　been　out
  all　day。〃　　I　stared　at　her　in　amazement；　and　pulling　the
  handkerchief　out　of　my　pocket；　handed　it　to　her。　　〃You　dropped　this
  in　Cumnor　Street　this　afternoon；　Lady　Alroy；〃　　I　said　very　calmly。
  She　looked　at　me　in　terror　but　made　no　attempt　to　take　the
  handkerchief。　　〃What　were　you　doing　there？〃　I　asked。　　〃What　right
  have　you　to　question　me？〃　she　answered。　　〃The　right　of　a　man　who
  loves　you；〃　I　replied；　〃I　came　here　to　ask　you　to　be　my　wife。〃　　She
  hid　her　face　in　her　hands；　and　burst　into　floods　of　tears。　　〃You
  must　tell　me；〃　I　continued。　　She　stood　up；　and；　looking　me　straight
  in　the　face；　said；　〃Lord　Murchison；　there　is　nothing　to　tell　you。〃
  …　〃You　went　to　meet　some　one；〃　I　cried；　〃this　is　your　mystery。〃
  She　gre