“Shall I go away and let you go to bed?”
“Oh, you can stay. If I want to go to bed I don’t mind your being here.”
At that moment there was a ring.
“Who is coming now?” she said, with an impatient movement.
A few minutes after there was another ring.
“Isn’t there anyone to go to the door? I shall have to go.” She got up and said to me, “Wait here.”
She went through the rooms, and I heard her open the outer door. I listened.
The person whom she had admitted did not come farther than the dining-room. At the first word I recognised the voice of the young Comte de N.
“How are you this evening?” he said.
“Not well,” replied Marguerite drily.