"Dido, have you seen Miss Rowe?" he asked without preliminaries.
"Yes, dear, about a quarter of an hour ago. She came to say good-bye."
"Good-bye! You don't mean she's left us? Why, what does this mean?"
"Well, my dear, I was as much astonished as you. It seems that Thérèse dismissed her at about tea-time; simply said she didn't need her any longer."
Roger gave a sharp exclamation of annoyance.
"Dismissed her! See here, Dido, do you think Thérèse was rude or anything?"
"I'm sure I don't know. I didn't like to ask, naturally. Miss Rowe didn't say anything, she simply seemed in rather a hurry to get away."
"And you let her go without seeing me?"
"You were asleep, dear. We neither of us thought we ought to disturb you. Besides it isn't as if she were leaving Cannes, we shall soon see her again."
He frowned, dissatisfied.