“What’s that,” asked Mina, with wide eyes and open mouth.
“Bon ton! Don’t you know what that means?” replied her companion, with an amused smile at her astonishment. “It means those who live at the top of the ladder!”
“How do you know? Have you ever been there?”
“Lord bless you, yes! I was born there!”
“Eh!” exclaimed the girl, amazed. “And you talk as much like a Dutchman as any of us!”
Again the man smiled. Had he chosen he could have entertained her with several other languages; but he did not choose to subject himself to her curiosity, and so remained silent, but watching intently every movement of the servants as they prepared the tempting viands for the new-comers.
Once he was left entirely alone in the room. He hastily arose, and noiselessly lifting the lid of the steaming coffeepot, emptied the whole powder he had obtained at the drug store within it, then resumed his seat and former position.
“What room do the strangers have? I thought the house was full,” he carelessly asked when Mina returned to her duties.
“Oh, the one over the keeping-room. We never let any but big bugs have that, you know, no matter how full we are,” replied the girl.
His eyes glowed with a strange bright light for a moment, then a look of fierce determination settled over his face.