This was a female contortionist with a serpent's grace, and a serpent's
flat head, and wicked slit eyes. She had proved a success, so he could
afford to exult, and Estelle dangled in triumph a new pair of diamond
earrings. He had lost nothing and the once famous Arithelli, the
"_She-wolf_" who had been mad enough to defy him, was now simply one of
the crowd. Her name did not appear on the programme. She was not even
Madame Mignonne now, but merely a unit among the many other women who
were grouped in the grand spectacle, or a rider in a procession with
twenty others. He had reduced her salary to a third of what it had
been formerly, and every Saturday she was required to assist with the
correspondence and weekly accounts. If she did not like this
arrangement, he explained, she could fight out the terms of her
contract in the courts. Doubtless she had a great opinion of her own
capabilities, but as she could see for herself her place had been
easily filled. The world was large, and there were plenty of
women--_sacre_, too many!
As usual he was disappointed in the effect of his remarks.
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