"Is that a new brewery?" she stammered.
"Yes ... but don't imagine that you can hoodwink me," I retorted.
She bent her neck, as if I had pulled in the reins, and remained silent.
Two days later, in the evening, on pretence of being tired, she kissed me good-night and left the room. I too went to bed, and after reading for a little while, fell asleep.
All of a sudden I awoke. Some one was playing the piano in the drawing-room; a voice was singing—it was Marie's voice.
I arose and called the children's nurse.
"Go and tell your mistress to go to bed at once," I said. "Tell her that if she refuses I shall come down myself and shake her in the presence of the whole company."
Marie came up-stairs at once. She seemed ashamed, and with an air of injured innocence she asked me why I had sent her so strange a message; why I would not allow her to stay in the drawing-room, although there were other ladies present?
"I don't mind your staying in the drawing-room," I replied angrily. "But I do object to your sly ways of getting rid of me whenever you want to be there by yourself."
"If you insist, very well, I'll go to bed."