"Certainly."
"Did they know you were present?"
"Monsieur is somewhat importunate!"
She looked me now directly in the eye, studying me mercilessly, with a scrutiny whose like I should not care often to undergo.
"I should be glad if it were possible to answer you," she said at last enigmatically; "but I have faith to keep with—others—with you—with—myself."
Now my own eagerness ran away with me; I became almost rude. "Madam," I exclaimed, "why beat about the bush? I do not care to deceive you, and you must not deceive me. Why should we not be friends in every way, and fair ones?"
"You do not know what you are saying," she said simply.
"Are you then an enemy of my country?" I demanded. "If I thought you were here to prove traitress to my country, you should never leave this room except with me. You shall not leave it now until you have told me what you are, why you are here, what you plan to do!"
She showed no fear. She only made a pretty little gesture at the dishes between us. "At my own table!" she pouted.
Again our eyes met directly and again hers did not lower. She looked at me calmly. I was no match for her.