"It will give me a good supper free," he said, "and a glass of wine. And if you try any tricks on me, heaven help you, for I won't!"
[CHAPTER XXVII.]
A GLASS OF WINE.
Hetty's patience was rewarded at last. She could hear the faint murmur of the motor in the street; there was a sudden gush of air as the front door opened, and the voice of the Countess in her most honeyed tones as she ushered somebody into the dining-room. Instantly the girl crept downstairs and hid herself behind the portière over the door. It was an audacious thing to do, but her audacity paid, as it generally does.
All the lights in the room were ablaze; at one end of the table was a dainty supper, flanked by a couple of gold-topped bottles. A little shabby man with a hooked nose was in the act of taking off a heavy fur-lined coat.
"How good of you to come," the Countess said. "Sit down and let me wait upon you--there is no need at all to ring for the servants. You can talk and eat at the same time. There! I will give you some of the cigarettes you are so fond of."
The meal was finished presently. Hetty caught the scent of cigarette smoke. The Countess lounged back in her chair, smoking too. She seemed perfectly self-possessed. She looked so easy and comfortable that Maitrank was filled with admiration.
"You are quite well and blooming?" he asked. "Ah, it is an easy conscience."
"I've no conscience at all," the Countess laughed. "If I had possessed such a thing I should not be here at this moment."