"Bon!" said the other. "If you will go home, mademoiselle, and keep your own counsel, I think I can promise you that you will shortly have your brother back."
Louise stepped forward impulsively.
"Oh, madame!"—she began.
But just then the valet-de-pied appeared at the door, and Gabrielle, taking up her novel, flounced back among the cushions.
"Bon jour, mademoiselle," she said, without looking at Louise. "Achille, la porte! And send Mathilde to me."
The conference between mistress and maid was brief but eloquent.
"Who," demanded Gabrielle, "is Dodo Chapuis?"
"The young monsieur of Boule-de-Boue," responded Mathilde promptly.
"Parfaitement. I needed to refresh my memory. And how long is it since we cabled the last tuyau?"