Miriam dreaded her turn. Mademoiselle was coming near ... so cheap and common-looking with her hard grey dress and her cheap jacket with the hat hiding her hair and making her look skinny and old. She was a more dreadful stranger than she had been at first ... Miriam wished she could stay. She could not let anyone go away like this. They would not meet again and Mademoiselle was going away detesting her and them all, going away in disgrace and not minding and going to be married. All the time there had been that waiting for her. She was smiling now and showing her babyish teeth. How could Jimmie hold her by the shoulders?
“Venez mon enfant, venez à l’instant,” called Fräulein from the hall.
Mademoiselle made her hard little sound with her throat.
“Why doesn’t she go?” thought Miriam as Mademoiselle ran down the room. “Adieu, adieu evaireeboddie—alla——”
11
“Are all here?”
Jimmie answered and Fräulein came to the table and stood leaning for a moment upon one hand.
The door opened and the housekeeper shone hard and bright in the doorway.
“Wäsche angekommen!”
“Na, gut,” responded Fräulein quietly.