"Because you love them?"

"No."

"_C'est dommage aussi_. You should love someone. It is much
'ealthier. I love everyone. Per'aps I love too much. I make
experiments. You make experiments--and sometimes leetle mistakes.
_Comme nous autres_. 'Ze operation was a _grand succes_--but ze
patient die.' I know. Some of mine die too."

"Prince Frederick, for instance?"

She lifted the long chain of pearls about her neck and considered them
dispassionately.

"That _canard_! You think 'e give me these? _Ce pauvre_ Fredi! 'E
couldn't 'ave given me a chain of pink coral. I could 'ave bought 'im
and 'is funny little kingdom with my dress-money. 'E shoot 'imself.
Well, that was 'is _affaire_. 'E 'ave no doubt explain 'imself to ze
_bon Dieu_, who is particulaire about that sort of thing. As to ze old
pearls--my agent 'e set that story going--_pour encourager les autres_."

"Cosgrave among them?" he suggested.

"Monsieur Cosgrave? We won't talk about 'im just now, if you please.
'E make me ver' cross. I 'ate to be cross. It is ver' difficult to
'ave a good time with English people. They are so damn thorough. When
they want to go to ze devil they want to go ze whole way."