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"He'll come up on deck," said Miss Thompkins, disclosing her teeth in an inscrutable smile that the moonbeams made more strange than it actually was. "Like to know how I know? Sure you'd like to know, Mrs. Simplicity?" Her beads rattled above Audrey's insignificant upturned nose. "Isn't a yacht the queerest little self-contained state you ever visited?
What am I? Do I not live on the money lent to me regularly by Mademoiselle Thompkins and Mademoiselle Nickall?" "You don't, Musa?" Audrey burst out in English. "Yes, yes!" said Musa violently. "But last month, from Mademoiselle Nickall nothing! She is in London; she forgets. It is better like that. Soon I shall be playing in the Opéra orchestra, fourth desk, one hundred francs a month.
What he hoped was that some American, familiar with the island and friendly with the natives, had strayed into the thicket. Jack whistled in reply and then stepped back out of sight. He had an idea that he wanted to see the other fellow first. Before long a voice came out of the thicket, a voice which might have come from a tenement on Thompkins Square, in the city of New York.
Frenchmen do not make a practice of winking, but he had learnt the accomplishment for fun from Miss Thompkins in Paris. The wink caused Audrey surreptitiously to observe Mr. and Mrs. Spatt.
But, you know, my dear uncle was always bizarre, mysterious. Yet is he mysterious, or is he ingenuous?" "But how did he come to know Miss Thompkins?" Audrey demanded. "Ah! You have not heard that? Miss Thompkins gave a a musical tea in her studio, to celebrate these concerts which are to occur. Musa asked the Foas to come. They consented. It was understood they should bring friends.
Miss Nickall ran away home at once. Miss Thompkins was left to deliver Miss Ingate and Audrey at Nick's studio, which, being in the Rue Delambre, was not far away. And not the shedding of the kimono and the re-assumption of European attire could affect Audrey's spirits.
"But whatever do you mean?" cried Miss Ingate, aghast. "What do I mean? I mean our army will be here. All know it in Germany. They know it in Paris! But what can they do? How can they stop us?... Decadent!..." He laughed easily. "Oh, my chocolates!" exclaimed Miss Thompkins. "I've left them in the hall!" "No, here they are," said Nick, handing the box.
Miss Thompkins and Miss Nickall began slowly to differentiate themselves in Audrey's mind. At first they were merely two American girls the first Audrey had met. They were of about the same age whatever that age might be and if they were not exactly of the same age, then Tommy with red hair was older than Nick with grey hair.
How kind-hearted! He hasn't got any 'career' to worry about, and I adore him, and he's as simple as knitting." "Oh!" cried Miss Thompkins. "You can see it from here. It's funny how unreal it seems, isn't it?"
Her gloved hand closed round the slim roll with the delicate firmness which was actuating all her proceedings on that magnificent afternoon. She was determined to save Musa not merely from himself, but from Miss Thompkins and everybody. It was not that she was specially interested in Musa. No! She was interested in a clean, neat job that was all.
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