What could she have to say to us? What important communication was she thinking of making, at a time when prudence counselled the earliest possible departure, now that we had determined upon not giving way to the will of the King?
"We will hear you," said Delange to her, "but be quick, I beg; all these consultations are dangerous just now."
"Make your minds quite easy," replied Miss Beatrice. "I will be brief. Before letting you come to so important a resolution, one which may have a serious influence over our future, I merely wish to ask you one question."
"Ask it. Miss Poles, ask it."
"Are you sure," she commenced, pushing her glasses up from her eyes, "that the King meant Madame de Guéran, that it is with her that he desires an interview?"
Delange looked at de Morin, who looked at me, whilst I looked at Nassar, whose eyes were fixed on the Baroness. Nobody as yet perceived the drift of Miss Beatrice's remarks.
"I wish you to observe," she continued, "that the name of Madame de Guéran has never been mentioned, for the very simple reason that nobody knows it. The officer simply stated that the King would only receive the white woman. What white woman does he mean? The Baroness or me? I labour under the impression that I am as white as she is."
Our eyes were opened at last, and it was with great difficulty that we kept our countenances. Miss Poles resumed—
"There are occasions in one's life when ordinary considerations fail to have any effect. I have reason to believe that Munza meant me. Yesterday, during the audience, he never ceased to look at me; he smiled at me, and graciously offered me a banana and a cola nut. Lastly, you now know from our interpreter that instead of calling me an old woman, he said I was a pretty one. All these things put together, notwithstanding my entire freedom from conceit—I might almost say, my deep humility—impel me to ask you if you are not on a wrong scent, if I am not the one with whom the King desires a private interview."
I had turned away to hide my laughter, and de Morin had followed my example; Delange alone confronted Miss Poles.