Edward, indeed, did not know that she had gone. As soon as he
awoke he went straight to La Dolciquita's room and she stood him
his lunch in her own apartments. He fell on her neck and wept,
and she put up with it for a time. She was quite a good-natured
woman. And, when she had calmed him down with Eau de
M?lisse, she said: "Look here, my friend, how much money have
you left? Five thousand dollars? Ten?" For the rumour went that
Edward had lost two kings' ransoms a night for fourteen nights
and she imagined that he must be near the end of his resources.
The Eau de M?lisse had calmed Edward to such an extent that, for
the moment, he really had a head on his shoulders. He did nothing
more than grunt:
"And then?"
"Why," she answered, "I may just as well have the ten thousand
dollars as the tables. I will go with you to Antibes for a week for
that sum."
Edward grunted: "Five." She tried to get seven thousand five
hundred; but he stuck to his five thousand and the hotel expenses
at Antibes. The sedative carried him just as far as that and then he
collapsed again. He had to leave for Antibes at three; he could not
do without it. He left a note for Leonora saying that he had gone
off for a week with the Clinton Morleys, yachting.
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