I don’t know why I did it, but I told of the note sent me by Chance, asking me not to go out that night, it was so cold. With no apparent reason that I could see, Sophie was disturbed or annoyed.
“No colder to-night than to-morrow night,” she said. “How did he know of your intention, and did he know I was to be with you?”
I told her of Jack’s interview with Zaidee, and I presumed he had said Sophie was to accompany us.
“Zaidee!” she repeated. “She hears everything and knows everything! She is madame’s right hand, picked from the street, as you may have heard. She is the brightest girl I have ever seen, with as many sides to her as the occasion seems to require, but at heart I believe she is an anarchist. She was born in a hotbed of them. Madame makes much of her—takes her to Monte Carlo, where she stands or sits by her mistress, watching the play, which she frequently directs, telling madame where to put her money and taking charge of it after it is gained. Sometimes madame plays recklessly, and loses, when Zaidee scolds her sharply; then she plays recklessly again, and wins, and Zaidee makes her quit and come home before she loses it all. All this, of course, is gossip; but, somehow, we have a good deal of it with regard to families like the Seguins, once in the swim, now hovering around the edge. Not Michel. I do not think he cares a sou for society. His mother does, but she is too old to get a foothold again, and does not like it.”
During this conversation Jack and Katy had been taking a spin on the skating track, and some gendarmes had passed us, looking a little curiously at us, as we sat by ourselves. One of these was Paul Strigoff.
“I detest him!” Sophie said. “He is cruel and feelingless,” and it seemed to me that she drew back into the shadow until the officers had gone by.
At this point Katy and Jack came back, flushed with the exercises, which Jack was eager to try again. But Katy was tired, and sat down between myself and Sophie, who took her hand, rubbing it and asking if she were cold.
“Oh, no; it was delightful,” Katy said. “I am only tired,” and I fancied that she leaned a little on Sophie, or that Sophie drew her to herself.
“I think it is time we went home,” Sophie said, at last. “There will be no more dukes or duchesses here to-night. You have seen all the notables you will see, and it must be nearly eleven. I told mother I would not stay late. She is very nervous if I am out of her sight.”
Jack protested that it was not late, and the sight too fine to lose. Sophie was firm.