Chapter V.—Taking Risks.One evening about three weeks before my time with Monsieur Manton would be up I left the Rue de Rivoli in a very disconsolate frame of mind. I still had said nothing about leaving, very cowardly putting off from day to day the breaking of the news to my employer. I knew so well how annoyed he would be, as I was now reckoned his most valued saleswoman, with most of the big deals, particularly if it were thought some considerable persuasion would be needed, being almost invariably handed over to me.
The season, too, was now approaching when the usual crowd of American and other wealthy visitors would be pouring into Paris and I could not be resigning my position at a more awkward time. All along Monsieur Manton had been so consistently kind to me that I realised how
