"A toi, Cic"--et bon voyage!" he said, and then he tilted up his chin and swallowed in great throatfuls.
"Certainly! Certainly!" cried Madame. "To thy good journey, my Ciccio, for thou art not a great traveller--"
"Na, pour _ca_, y"a plus d"une voie," said Geoffrey.
During this pa.s.sage in French Alvina sat with very bright eyes looking from one to another, and not understanding. But she knew it was something improper, on her account. Her eyes had a bright, slightly-bewildered look as she turned from one face to another.
Ciccio had let go her hand, and was wiping his lips with his fingers. He too was a little self-conscious.
"a.s.sez de cette eternelle voix italienne," said Madame. "Courage, courage au chemin d"Angleterre."
"a.s.sez de cette eternelle voix rauque," said Ciccio, looking round.
Madame suddenly pulled herself together.
"They will not have my name. They will call you Allay!" she said to Alvina. "Is it good? Will it do?"
"Quite," said Alvina.
And she could not understand why Gigi, and then the others after him, went off into a shout of laughter. She kept looking round with bright, puzzled eyes. Her face was slightly flushed and tender looking, she looked nave, young.
"Then you will become one of the tribe of Natcha-Kee-Tawara, of the name Allaye? Yes?"
"Yes," said Alvina.
"And obey the strict rules of the tribe. Do you agree?"
"Yes."
"Then listen." Madame primmed and preened herself like a black pigeon, and darted glances out of her black eyes.
"We are one tribe, one nation--say it."
"We are one tribe, one nation," repeated Alvina.
"Say all," cried Madame.
"We are one tribe, one nation--" they shouted, with varying accent.
"Good!" said Madame. "And no nation do we know but the nation of the Hirondelles--"
"No nation do we know but the nation of the Hirondelles," came the ragged chant of strong male voices, resonant and gay with mockery.
"Hurons--Hirondelles, means _swallows_," said Madame.
"Yes, I know," said Alvina.
"So! you know! Well, then! We know no nation but the Hirondelles. WE HAVE NO LAW BUT HURON LAW!"
"We have no law but Huron law!" sang the response, in a deep, sardonic chant.
"WE HAVE NO LAWGIVER EXCEPT KISHWeGIN."
"We have no lawgiver except Kishwegin," they sang sonorous.
"WE HAVE NO HOME BUT THE TENT OF KISHWeGIN."
"We have no home but the tent of Kishwegin."
"THERE IS NO GOOD BUT THE GOOD OF NATCHA-KEE-TAWARA."
"There is no good but the good of Natcha-Kee-Tawara."
"WE ARE THE HIRONDELLES."
"We are the Hirondelles."
"WE ARE KISHWeGIN."
"We are Kishwegin."
"WE ARE MONDAGUA."
"We are Mondagua--"
"WE ARE ATONQUOIS--"
"We are Atonquois--"
"WE ARE PACOHUILA--"
"We are Pacohuila--"
"WE ARE WALGATCHKA--"
"We are Walgatchka--"
"WE ARE ALLAYE--"
"We are Allaye--"
"La musica! Pacohuila, la musica!" cried Madame, starting to her feet and sounding frenzied.
Ciccio got up quickly and took his mandoline from its case.
"A--A--Ai--Aii--eee--ya--" began Madame, with a long, faint wail.
And on the wailing mandoline the music started. She began to dance a slight but intense dance. Then she waved for a partner, and set up a tarantella wail. Louis threw off his coat and sprang to tarantella attention, Ciccio rang out the peculiar tarantella, and Madame and Louis danced in the tight s.p.a.ce.
"Brava--Brava!" cried the others, when Madame sank into her place.
And they crowded forward to kiss her hand. One after the other, they kissed her fingers, whilst she laid her left hand languidly on the head of one man after another, as she sat slightly panting. Ciccio however did not come up, but sat faintly tw.a.n.ging the mandoline. Nor did Alvina leave her place.