He noted this circumstance as he glanced suspiciously round the room, with his features twisted into the now too familiar malicious smile.
Bowing with a sarcastic affectation of politeness, he remarked:
“I am afraid my sudden appearance has interrupted a very interesting conversation. If so, I am vary sorray. But pray go on; do not allow my praisance to be any—what you call it—any—any—ah, yes, I have it—any restraint.”
Then, suddenly changing his manner as his naturally suspicious nature asserted itself, he demanded:
“What were you talking about? Tell me—you; I insist.”
“We were talking about matters chiefly interesting to ourselves,” answered Bowles. “If ’t had been anything we wanted you to know, we’d have sent for you.”
“Ha! my big strong friend, how you are funny to-night! You want to make a laugh at me, is it not? All right; wait till to-morrow; I then shall make a laugh at you. It is I that shall be funny then,” returned Ralli with the evil smile broadening on his face and his eyes beginning to sparkle with anger.
“Well,” he continued, “since you will not so civil be as answer my polite question, I will tell you what I have come to say. It is this. You men are working—after a very lazy fashion it is the truth—for your living, and from now I intend that the women—oh? I beg the pardon, I should have said the ladies—shall work for theirs too. I am not any more going to allow laziness; you must all work, beginning to-morrow.”
Here was an announcement which fairly took away the breath of the party. Ralli saw the consternation which his speech had produced, and laughed in hearty enjoyment of it.
“I tell you what it is, my good sir,” said Rex, recovering his presence of mind. “You may say what you please as to the manner in which we work, but you know as well as I do that our services are ample payment for the food and lodging which we and the ladies get; and as to their working—why, it is simply preposterous; what can they do?”