And then Madame wiped her own shrewd black eyes, and nodded slow
approval. Suddenly Louis started and held up a warning finger. They
all at once covered their smiles and pulled themselves together.
Only Alvina lay silently laughing.

"Oh, good morning, Mrs. Rollings!" they heard Mr. May's voice. "Your
company is lively. Is Miss Houghton here? May I go through?"

They heard his quick little step and his quick little tap.

"Come in," called Madame.

The Natcha-Kee-Tawaras all sat with straight faces. Only poor Alvina
lay back in her chair in a new weak convulsion. Mr. May glanced
quickly round, and advanced to Madame.

"Oh, good-morning, Madame, so glad to see you downstairs," he said,
taking her hand and bowing ceremoniously. "Excuse my intruding on
your mirth!" He looked archly round. Alvina was still incompetent.
She lay leaning sideways in her chair, and could not even speak to
him.

"It was evidently a good joke," he said. "May I hear it too?"

"Oh," said Madame, drawling. "It was no joke. It was only Louis
making a fool of himself, doing a turn."

"Must have been a good one," said Mr. May. "Can't we put it on?"

"No," drawled Madame, "it was nothing--just a non-sensical mood of
the moment. Won't you sit down? You would like a little
whiskey?--yes?"

Max poured out whiskey and water for Mr. May.

Alvina sat with her face averted, quiet, but unable to speak to Mr.
May. Max and Louis had become polite. Geoffrey stared with his big,
dark-blue eyes stolidly at the newcomer. Ciccio leaned with his arms
on his knees, looking sideways under his long lashes at the inert
Alvina.

"Well," said Madame, "and are you satisfied with your houses?"

"Oh yes," said Mr. May. "Quite! The two nights have been excellent.
Excellent!"

"Ah--I am glad. And Miss Houghton tells me I should not dance
tomorrow, it is too soon."

"Miss Houghton _knows_," said Mr. May archly.

"Of course!" said Madame. "I must do as she tells me."

"Why yes, since it is for your good, and not hers."

"Of course! Of course! It is very kind of her."

"Miss Houghton is _most_ kind--to _every one_," said Mr. May.

"I am sure," said Madame. "And I am very glad you have been such a
good Kishwegin. That is very nice also."

"Yes," replied Mr. May. "I begin to wonder if I have mistaken my
vocation. I should have been _on_ the boards, instead of behind
them."

"No doubt," said Madame. "But it is a little late--"

The eyes of the foreigne