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?"