She turned round and disappeared. Something behind the screen was hissing like a snake.
Claude now saw a table laid in the middle of the studio. On a rough white cloth were plates, knives, and forks, large coffee cups with flowers coarsely painted on a gray ground with a faint tinge of blue in it, rolls of bread, butter, a cake richly brown in color. A vase of coarse, but effective pottery, full of scented wild geranium, stood in the midst. Claude took off hat and coat, hung them up on a hook, and glanced around.
Certainly Charmian had arranged the furniture well, chosen it well, too. The place looked cosy, and everything was in excellent taste. There was comfort without luxury. Claude felt that he ought to be very grateful.
"Coming!"
Her voice cried out from behind the screen, and she appeared bearing a large dish full of smoking sausages, which she set down on the table.
"Now for the eggs and the coffee!" she said.
Another moment and they were on the table, too, with a plateful of buttered toast.
"Studio fare!" she said, taking off the blue apron, pulling down her sleeves, and looking at Claude. "Are you surprised?"
"I was for the first moment."
"And then?"