eting element in his otherwise highly correct appearance.
He wore his faded fair hair very short, and his greyish yellow beard
was trimmed in a point. His fat hands were incased in tight white
gloves. His pale eyes looked quietly through his glasses and made one
think of the eyes of a big fish in an aquarium when it swims up and
pushes its nose against the plate-glass front of the tank to look at
visitors.

The eyes examined Margaret attentively.

'Monsieur Schreiermeyer, this is Miss Donne, my pupil,' said Madame De
Rosa.

'Enchanted,' mumbled the manager.

He continued to scrutinise the young girl's face, and he looked so much
like a doctor that she felt as if he were going to feel her pulse and
tell her to put out her tongue. At the thought, she smiled pleasantly.

'Hum!' Schreiermeyer grunted softly, almost musically, in fact.

Perhaps this was a good sign, for little Madame De Rosa beamed.
Margaret looked about for an empty chair, but there never seemed to be
any in a room used by Madame Bonanni. There was one indeed, but
Schreiermeyer had appropriated it, and sat down upon it again with
perfect calm.

'Sit down,' he said, as he did so himself.

'Yes,' answered Margaret sweetly, and remained standing.

Suddenly he seemed to realise that she could not, and that the maids
were not inclined to offer her a seat. His face and figure were
transfigured in an instant, one fat, gloved hand shot out with extended
forefinger in a gesture of command and his pale eyes flashed through
his glasses, and glared furiously at the maids.

'Clear two chairs!' he shouted in a voice of thunder.

Margaret started in surprise and protest.

'But the things are all ready----' objected the cadaverous maid.

'Damn the things!' yelled Schreiermeyer. 'Clear two chairs at once!'

He seemed, on the verge of a white apoplexy, though he did not move
from his seat. The cadaverous maid lifted an embroidered bodice from
one of the chairs and laid it in one of the black trunks; she looked
like a female undertaker laying a dead baby in its coffin. The fat maid
showed all her teeth and laughed at Schreiermeyer and cleared the other
chair, and brought up both together for the two ladies.

'Give yourselves the trouble to be seated,' said Schreiermeyer, in a
tone so soft that it would not have disturbed a sleeping child.

As soon as he was obeyed he became quite quiet and unobtrusive again,
the furious glare faded from his eyes, and the wh