"All the same she is passably rich," Elodie persisted. "One does not buy a costume like that under five hundred francs."
The crimson vested and sashed and tarbooshed Algerian negro brought the coffee, and poured out the five cups. We sipped. I noticed Elodie's hand shake.
"If their coffee gets cold, so much the worse."
Bakkus, who had maintained a discreet silence hitherto, remarked:--
"Unless Andrew's head is particularly thick, he'll get a sunstroke in this blazing sun."
"That's true," cried Elodie and, rising with a great scraping of chair, she rushed to the balustrade and addressed him shrilly.
"Mais dis donc André, tu veux attraper un coup de soleil?"
We heard his voice in reply: "Nous rentrons."
A few moments afterwards they mounted from the lower terrace and came towards us. Lackaday's face was set in one of its tight-lipped expressionless moods. Lady Auriol's cheek was flushed, and though she smiled conventional greeting, her eyes were very serious.
"I am sorry to have put into danger the General's health, madame," said she in her clear and British French. "But when two comrades of the Great War meet for the first time, one is forgetful."