"No, madame—not seriously. He struck his head against a chair and just graze ze eye. It is nothing serious, I assure madame. The doctor says that if he wears blue spectacles for few months he will be all right."
"Oh, he wears blue spectacles, does he?"
"Yes, madame, he must. Ze eye is inflamed and cannot stand ze strong light."
"Poor Kenneth!" she murmured, half-aloud. "I shall hardly know him in blue spectacles."
The valet, who had been watching her like a hawk out of his half-closed, sleepy-looking eyes, overheard the remark. Quickly he said:
"Of course, madame must expect to find monsieur a little changed. What we went through was épouvantable, something awful. We just escaped with our lives. For days monsieur was so nervous he was hardly able to speak a word. Even now he stops at times——"
Helen looked at him in wonder.
"'He stops!' What do you mean?"
The valet turned away, and for a moment was silent. Then, as if making a great effort, he turned and said:
"Madame will pardon me, but she must be brave and not show monsieur she notices any change. Ze doctor said it was a terrible shock to his nervous system—that fire. Monsieur has not been ze same since, pas du tout ze same. Ze doctor he says that these symptoms will all disappear once he gets home and has a good rest. It is only ze shock, I assure madame."