Madame glanced round at Max and Louis.
“Are we not all here? No. The two have gone. No! Well! Well what time will you come?”
“About nine?”
“Very well, and I leave at ten. Very well. Then au revoir till the morning. Good-night.”
“Good-night,” said Alvina. Her colour was rather flushed.
She walked up with Mr. May, and hardly noticed he was there. After supper, when James Houghton had gone up to count his pennies, Alvina said to Miss Pinnegar:
“Don’t you think father looks rather seedy, Miss Pinnegar?”
“I’ve been thinking so a long time,” said Miss Pinnegar tartly.
“What do you think he ought to do?”
“He’s killing himself down there, in all weathers and freezing in that box-office, and then the bad atmosphere. He’s killing himself, that’s all.”