"Have I come right?" she asked uneasily. "Is this the house?"
"Certainly. It's so good of you to come."
The words did not seem to carry any comfort to the lady. She passed the tip of her tongue along her painted lips and looked towards the door.
"Pray, don't be alarmed," Valentine said, sitting down on a chair immediately opposite to her.
"I ain't. But—but you're not the friend, are you?"
"I am; and the ami des femmes too, I assure you. Be calm."
He bent forward, looking closely into her face. The lady leaned quickly back and uttered a little gasp.
"What is the matter?" Valentine asked.
"Nothin', nothin'," the lady answered, returning his glance as if fascinated into something that approached horror. "When's he comin'? When's he comin'?"
"Directly. But I trust you will not regret spending a few minutes alone in my company. What can I do to make you happy?"