"Well," she said, with her black eyes fixed steadily upon mine,
"you are of the same mind, eh?"
I bowed.
"I prefer to think," I said, "that you were joking yesterday."
"So!" she answered, and began to eat. I gathered that I was dismissed.
But presently she called me back again.
"You have many friends in London, Herr Paul?" she asked.
"None at all," I answered. "It is very lonely."
"I thought," she said, "that I saw you coming out of some flats in Dover
Street the other day."
Madame was a little over-anxious. She was showing her hand too openly.
I leaned over the table, after a cautious glance around.
"I will tell you," I said, "since you are so kind as to be interested. I
am looking for another situation. I think that I shall go into a private
family."
"Another situation?" she exclaimed. "You are not satisfied here?"
I shook my head.
"My uncle," I said, "is a very mean man. He does not like to pay both
Karl and myself--and he pays me very little. It is all promises!--and
meanwhile Elsie waits."
Madame laughed, not altogether pleasantly.
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