ts in Bohemia. I do
not introduce you. You sit down and join us. You are one of us. That you
speak only English counts for nothing. Mademoiselle Alice here is
American. Now tell us at once, how have you spent this afternoon? You
have bathed, perhaps, or walked upon the sands?"

Norgate was on the point of speaking of his excursion to Knocke but was
conscious of Selingman's curiously intent gaze. The spirit of duplicity
seemed to grow upon him.

"I walked for a little way," he said. "Afterwards I lay upon the sands
and slept. When I found that the steamer was still further delayed, I
had a bath. That was half an hour ago. I asked a man whom I met on the
promenade where one might dine in travelling clothes, lightly but
well, and he sent me here--the Bar de Londres--and here, for my good
fortune, I am."

"It is a pity that monsieur does not speak French," one of Selingman's
companions murmured.

"But, mademoiselle," Norgate protested, "I have spoken French all my
life. Herr Selingman here has misunderstood me. It is German of which I
am ignorant."

The young lady, who immediately introduced herself as Mademoiselle
Henriette, passed her arm through Selingman's.

"We dine here all together, my friend, is it not so?" she begged. "He
will not be in the way, and for myself, I am _triste_. You talk all the
time to Mademoiselle l'Americaine, perhaps because she is the friend of
some one in whom you are interested. But for me, it is dull. Monsieur
l'Anglais shall talk with me, and you may hear all the secrets that Alice
has to tell. We," she murmured, looking up at Norgate, "will speak of
other things, is it not so?"

For a moment Selingman hesitated. Norgate would have moved on with a
little farewell nod, but Selingman's companions were insistent.

"It shall be a _partie carree_," they both declared, almost in unison.

"You need have no fear," Mademoiselle Henriette continued. "I will talk
all the time to monsieur. He shall tell me his name, and we shall be
very great friends. I am not interested in the things of which they
talk, those others. You shall tell me of London, monsieur, and how you
live there."

"Join us, by all means," Selingman invited.

"On condition that you dine with me," Norgate insisted, as he took
up the menu.

"Impossible!" Selingman declared firmly.

"Oh! it matters nothing," Mademoiselle Henriette exclaimed, "so long
as we dine."

"So long," Mademoiselle Alice intervened, "as we have this