Freya repeated her smiles with an expression of sweet compassion.
"It is natural that I should find you here. You are in your district, within sight of a hotel…. We are neighbors."
In order more thoroughly to amuse herself with the captain's astonishment, she made a long pause. Then she added:
"I saw your name on the list of arrivals yesterday, on my return to the hotel. I always look them over. It pleases me to know who my neighbors are."
"And for that reason you did not come down to the dining-room?…"
Ulysses asked this question hoping that she would respond negatively. She could not answer it in any other way, if only for good manners' sake.
"Yes, for that reason," Freya replied simply. "I guessed that you were waiting to meet me and I did not wish to go into the dining-room…. I give you fair warning that I shall always do the same."
Ulysses uttered an "Ah!" of amazement…. No woman had ever spoken to him with such frankness.
"Neither has your presence here surprised me," she continued. "I was expecting it. I know the innocent wiles of you men. 'Since he did not find me in the hotel, he will wait for me to-day in the street,' I said to myself, upon arising this morning…. Before coming out, I was following your footsteps from the window of my room…."
Ferragut looked at her in surprise and dismay. What a woman!…