“By your leave, Madame, I will go to New Orleans at once and try to find Monsieur,” I said, “for I have business with him.”
“You will return with him, I hope,” said Madame.
I bowed.
“And Mr. Temple will remain?” she asked, with a questioning look at Nick.
“With the greatest pleasure in the world, Madame,” he answered, and there was no mistaking his sincerity. As he spoke, Mademoiselle turned her back on him.
I would not wait for dinner, but pausing only for a sip of cool Madeira and some other refreshment, I made my farewells to the ladies. As I started out of the door to find Benjy, who had been waiting for more than an hour, Mademoiselle gave me a neatly folded note.
“You will be so kind as to present that to my father, Monsieur,” she said.