"You know that I adore you, darling Brute!"
"Of course—" he did not even turn his head towards her. "Have you had your heart's desire here in England?"
"Before this stupid war came—yes—now I'm through with it. I'm for
Paris again."
"I suppose I must have been mistaken, but I thought I caught sight of your handsome German friend in the hall just now?"
"German friend—who?"
"Your danseur at the Ardayre ball. I have forgotten his name."
"And so have I."
At that instant Marie appeared at the door and Fou-Chow came from under the chair where he was sheltering and pattered towards her with a glad tiny whine. The maid's eyes rounded with dislike as she looked at her mistress; she realised that the little creature had been roughly treated again. She picked him up and could hardly control her voice into a tone of respectfulness as she spoke:
"Monsieur Insborg demands if he can see Madame in half an hour. He telephoned to Madame but received no reply."
For a second Harietta's eyes betrayed her; they narrowed with alarm, and then she said suavely: "I suppose the receiver was off. No, say I am dining early for the theatre—but to-morrow at five."