"Don't you 'ave nothing to do with 'er, Mister Jack," breathed Watkins explosively from the rear of our group. "That's 'er!"
"Is that the pretty lady?" whispered Hugh. "My word, Watty, I'll forgive you! Jack, you hound, introduce us. She looks better than she did the other night!"
I looked at Nikka.
"It's a good plan to know your enemies," he said. "They already know us. It can't do any harm for us to know them."
Hélène gave us a charming smile.
"I'm delighted to meet you boys," she said. "And dear old Watkins! We're quite friends, aren't we, Watkins?"
Watkins mumbled something that I fear was scarcely courteous.
"You can introduce me as the Countess de Cespedes, if you like, Mr. Nash," she continued. "I wonder if you knew Cespedes, Mr. Zaranko? He was a rotten old duffer, but he took me off the stage."
"I've heard of him," said Nikka, smiling. "Didn't he leave you anything to keep you going?"
She shrugged her shoulders.