"It is only to spick about my _cafe_," she said to Miss Spencer, with her agreeable smile. "I should like it served in the garden under the leetle tree."
The young man behind her had now stepped into the room, and he also stood looking at me. He was a pretty-faced little fellow, with an air of provincial foppishness,--a tiny Adonis of Grimwinter. He had a small pointed nose, a small pointed chin, and, as I observed, the most diminutive feet. He looked at me foolishly, with his mouth open.
"You shall have your coffee," said Miss Spencer, who had a faint red spot in each of her cheeks.
"It is well!" said the lady in the dressing-gown. "Find your bouk," she added, turning to the young man.
He gazed vaguely round the room. "My grammar, d "ye mean?" he asked, with a helpless intonation.
But the large lady was inspecting me, curiously, and gathering in her dressing-gown with her white arm.
"Find your bouk, my friend," she repeated.
"My poetry, d "ye mean?" said the young man, also staring at me again.
"Never mind your bouk," said his companion. "To-day we will talk. We will make some conversation. But we must not interrupt. Come;" and she turned away. "Under the leetle tree," she added, for the benefit of Miss Spencer.
Then she gave me a sort of salutation, and a "Monsieur!" with which she swept away again, followed by the young man.
Caroline Spencer stood there with her eyes fixed upon the ground.
"Who is that?" I asked.
"The Countess, my cousin."
"And who is the young man?"
"Her pupil, Mr. Mixter."
This description of the relation between the two persons who had just left the room made me break into a little laugh. Miss Spencer looked at me gravely.
"She gives French lessons; she has lost her fortune."
"I see," I said. "She is determined to be a burden to no one. That is very proper."
Miss Spencer looked down on the ground again, "I must go and get the coffee," she said.
"Has the lady many pupils?" I asked.
"She has only Mr. Mixter. She gives all her time to him."
At this I could not laugh, though I smelt provocation; Miss Spencer was too grave. "He pays very well," she presently added, with simplicity.
"He is very rich. He is very kind. He takes the Countess to drive." And she was turning away.
"You are going for the Countess"s coffee?" I said.
"If you will excuse me a few moments."
"Is there no one else to do it?"
She looked at me with the softest serenity. "I keep no servants."
"Can she not wait upon herself?"
"She is not used to that."
"I see," said I, as gently as possible. "But before you go, tell me this: who is this lady?"
"I told you about her before--that day. She is the wife of my cousin, whom you saw."
"The lady who was disowned by her family in consequence of her marriage?"
"Yes; they have never seen her again. They have cast her off."
"And where is her husband?"
"He is dead."
"And where is your money?"
The poor girl flinched; there was something too consistent in my questions. "I don"t know," she said wearily.
But I continued a moment. "On her husband"s death this lady came over here?"
"Yes, she arrived one day."
"How long ago?"
"Two years."
"She has been here ever since?"
"Every moment."
"How does she like it?"
"Not at all."
"And how do _you_ like it?"
Miss Spencer laid her face in her two hands an instant, as she had done ten minutes before.
Then, quickly, she went to get the Countess"s coffee.
I remained alone in the little parlor; I wanted to see more, to learn more. At the end of five minutes the young man whom Miss Spencer had described as the Countess"s pupil came in. He stood looking at me for a moment with parted lips. I saw he was a very rudimentary young man.
"She wants to know if you won"t come out there," he observed at last.