'What is his title?'
'Mon Dieu! I can't say—Scoville? Scoville? But yes, an earl—Comte de Scoville, I believe, m'selle.'
'Waiter—should he or anyone else inquire who I am, say an American—a millionaire, as I told you before.'
'He has already asked,' said the waiter, with a knowing look.
In the alcove where the lady sat at a table by herself was also a larger table, as already said, occupied by Janet and her party, and the lady in gray and red attracted the attention of the girls. These three girls were much alike; they ranged in age from sixteen to nineteen, had dark eyes and fresh cheeks, looked a mixture of English and French blood, and though they spoke English with their aunt and Salome, they spoke it with a foreign accent, and when they talked to each other naturally fell into French.
They were not beautiful, were undeveloped girls without much character apparently. The strange lady evidently exercised their minds, and they looked a good deal at her, and passed low remarks to each other concerning her. Their curiosity was roused, and when she was not at her place they searched the visitors' book for her name, and for some information about her.
'Ma tante,' pleaded the eldest, 'which do you think she is of all these on this page?'
'Mais, Claudine, how can I tell?'
'Oh! Ma tante, do ask the waiter.'
'But why, Claudine? She does not interest me.'