“You edify me extremely,” he said. “Will you now have the goodness to inform me why this woman finds herself unable to supply you with a bed-chamber?”
“I can scarcely blame her, sir,” said Miss Challoner honestly. “I have no maid, and no baggage, and I arrived by the stage coach. My situation is excessively awkward, and I was very foolish not to have realized sooner what an odd appearance I must present.”
“The loss of your baggage is, I fear, beyond my power to remedy, but a bed-chamber I can procure for you at once.”
“I should be very grateful to you, sir, if you would.”
The Englishman turned to the landlord, who was humbly awaiting his pleasure. “Your stupidity, my good Boisson, is lamentable,” he remarked. “You will escort this lady to a suitable chamber.”
“Yes, monseigneur, yes indeed. It shall be as monseigneur wishes. But — ”
“I do not think,” said the Englishman sweetly, “that I evinced any desire to converse with you.”
“No, monseigneur,” said the landlord. “If — if mademoiselle would follow my wife upstairs? The large front room, Celestine!”
Madame said resentfully: “What, the large room?”
The landlord gave her a push towards the stairs. “Certainly the large one. Go quickly!”