# XIV: Karl Grows a Moustache explained — Mr. Incoul’s Misadventure

> Chapter companion for Mr. Incoul’s Misadventure by Edgar Saltus.

## What happens

Mr. Incoul begins a secret transformation of his courier Karl, ordering him to shave his whiskers and take a room at the Meurice. Meanwhile, Lenox Leigh, having returned to Paris with the dancer Mirette, receives a final, irrevocable note from Maida ending their relationship. His funds depleted, he clings to Mirette for consolation, but is publicly snubbed by her when she arrives at a restaurant with another man, leaving him humiliated and adrift.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Betrayal

Mr. Incoul's secret transformation of Karl and Mirette's public snubbing of Lenox highlight themes of hidden motives and social betrayal.

### Love and Illusion

Lenox's illusion of being indispensable to Maida is shattered by her final note, and his consolation in Mirette is revealed as a crutch, not genuine affection.

### Social Class and Reputation

Lenox's concern about gossip at the club and his humiliation at being cut by Mirette in public underscore the importance of social standing and appearances.

## Character check-ins

### Mr. Incoul

Orchestrates Karl's physical transformation and observes Lenox at the Cercle des Capucines.

### Karl

Ordered to shave his whiskers, be measured at Cumberland's, and take a room at the Meurice; awaits further instructions.

### Lenox Leigh

Returns to Paris with Mirette, receives a final rejection note from Maida, and is publicly snubbed by Mirette at a restaurant.

### Mirette

Accompanies Lenox to Paris but later cuts him publicly at Bignon's, arriving with another man.

### Miss Maida Barhyte

Sends Lenox a brief, categorical note ending their relationship; her handwriting suggests unaccustomed strength.

## Key lines

> Lies whiten the teeth

Mirette justifies her habitual lying with a flippant proverb, suggesting that dishonesty is harmless or even beneficial.

_Illustrates Mirette's amoral and carefree attitude toward truth._

> To be an American is to be a Vesuvius of gold pieces.

In Paris, Americans are stereotyped as possessing inexhaustible wealth, like a volcano spewing money.

_Highlights the cultural perception of American expatriates as wealthy patrons._

> One was Mylitta, the other Psyche.

Mirette represents raw, sensual love (Mylitta), while Maida embodies pure, spiritual love (Psyche).

_Contrasts the two women as extremes of love and desire._

> I can write Finis over that.

Lenox acknowledges that Maida's note has ended their relationship definitively, as if closing a book.

_Shows Lenox's acceptance of the finality of Maida's decision._

## Links

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