"She might cheer you up. You might cheer each other up."
At this point in the conversation Crayford allowed a faint smile to distort slightly one corner of his mouth.
Charmian did come down from Mustapha in Crayford's big yellow car. She was in a state of great excitement.
"O Alston!" she exclaimed, "where are we going? What a man he is when it comes to business! He simply packed me off. I have never been treated in such a way before. We've got hours and hours to fill up somehow. I feel almost as if I were waiting to be told on what day I am to be guillotined, like a French criminal. How will Claude get on with him? Just think of those two shut in together!"
As Alston got into the car she repeated:
"Where are we going?"
"Allez au Diable!" said Alston to Crayford's chauffeur, who was a Frenchman.
"Bien, m'sieu!"
"And—" Alston pulled out his watch. "You must take at least seven hours to get there."
"Très bien, m'sieu."