Never before had Audrey heard anybody connect himself with posterity, and she was very much impressed. Monsieur Dauphin was resigned and yet brave. By no means convinced that posterity would do the right thing, he nevertheless had no grudge against posterity.
Just then there was a sharp scream at the top of the spiral staircase. With a smile that condoned the scream and excused his flight, Monsieur Dauphin ran to the staircase, and up it, and disappeared on to the roof. Nobody seemed to be perturbed. Audrey was left alone and conspicuous on the dais.
“Charming, isn’t he?” said Miss Thompkins, arriving with Miss Ingate in front of the flower-screened platform.
“Oh! he is!” answered Audrey with sincerity, leaning downwards.
“Has he told you all about the Russian princesses?”
“Oh, yes,” said Audrey, pleased.
“I thought he would,” said Miss Thompkins, with a peculiar intonation.
Audrey knew then that Miss Thompkins, having first maliciously made sure that she was a ninny, was now telling her to her face that she was a ninny.
Tommy continued:
“Then I guess he told you he’d given Musa to the world.”