after bidding him good-morning, came at once to the matter in hand.
"Selina wants to come back to us," he said. "She thinks she could be
useful as valet-housekeeper and maid to Elsie. She's awfully keen on it."

"If she wants to come back, she most certainly can," said Sir Tancred.
"I owe Selina a debt I can never pay--and so do you, for that matter. I
don't pretend to know what the functions of a valet-housekeeper are, but
doubtless Selina knows her own capabilities best. Besides, as you are
losing your governess, you will want some woman about Elsie."

"But I don't intend to lose my governess!" cried Tinker.

Sir Tancred looked at him with unaffected interest. "Am I to understand
that you propose to retain the daughter of a millionaire as your adopted
sister's governess?" he said.

"Yes," said Tinker firmly. "Dorothy's a very good governess: she suits
Elsie and she suits me."

"That sounds like a reason," said Sir Tancred. "But I shall be
interested to see if Mr. Rainer listens to it."

"I think," said Tinker thoughtfully, "we shan't have much trouble with
Mr. Rainer."

"Of course, if you've made up your mind--but millionaires are kittle
cattle."

Tinker went to Selina and Elsie, looked carefully into the matter of
hair-brushing; gave Selina a few hints on the process, and then told her
that her request was granted. He fled from the room to escape her joyful
gratitude; and went down into the hall to await the conclusion of the
process, and Elsie's coming.

Of a sudden there descended on him an exceedingly animated French
gentleman of forty, who cried, "Tell me then a little, good-for-nothing!
Why did you steal my motor-car yesterday?"

Tinker was suavity itself; he protested that he was desolated, grieved
beyond measure that the necessity of borrowing the motor-car had been
forced on him; but he had borrowed it in the service of a lady; and he
told briefly the story of the kidnapping. The aggrieved Frenchman
listened to it with a face in which amazement battled with incredulity;
but fortunately, towards the end of it, Dorothy and her father came into
the hotel from walking in the garden of the Casino; and Tinker introduced
the Frenchman to them. At the sight of Dorothy's beauty, he forgot his
righteous wrath; forgot that it was an international matter, another
instance of the cunning insolence of Perfidious Albion; protested his
delight that his car should have been of use to her; would not listen