"No, Maurice--" and I poured out a second glass of port for him--Burton
had left us alone by now--. "Miss Sharp does not know that I exist--she
is simply here to do her work, and is the best secretary any man could
want--I knew Coralie would infect you with some silly idea."
Maurice sipped his port.--"Coralie said that in spite of the girl's
glasses there was some air of distinction about her--as she walked
on--and that she knew and felt you were interested."
I remained undisturbed.
"I am, immensely interested--I want to know who she really is. She is a
lady--even a lady of our world.--I mean she knows about things in
England--where she has never been--that she could not possibly know
unless her family had spoken of them always. She has that unconscious
air of familiarity and ease with subjects which would surprise you.
Can't you find anything out for me, old boy, as to who she is?"
"I will certainly try--Sharp?--it is not a name of the great
world--no--?"
"Of course that is not her real name--"
"Why not ask her yourself, Mon brave!"
"I'd like to find a man with pluck enough to ask her anything she did
not wish him to!"
"That little girl!--but she appeared meek and plain, and respectable,
Nicholas--You intrigue me!"
"Well, put your wits to work Maurice, and promise me you will not talk
to the others about anything. I shall be very angry if you do."
He gave me every assurance he would be silent as the grave--and then he
changed the topic to that of Suzette--He was sorry I had given her her
congé, because I would find it hard to replace her--Those so honest and
really not too rapacious, were very difficult to find--Since he had
heard that Suzette was no longer my little friend, he had been looking
out for me, but as yet had seen nothing suitable!!
"You need not trouble, Maurice," I told him, "I am absolutely finished
with that part of my life--I loathe the whole idea of it now--."
Maurice inspected me with grave concern--.
"My dear chap--this appears serious--You are not in love with your
secretary are you?--or is it possible that you are bluffing, and that
she has replaced Suzette, and you wish tranquility about the subject?"
I felt a hot flush mounting to my forehead--The very thought of my
adored little girl in the category of Suzette!--I could have struck my
old friend--but I had just sense enough to reason things. Maurice was
only speaking as any of the Paris world would speak. A secretary, whom a
man was obviously interested in, was certainly not out of the running
for the post of "Maitresse-en-titre!"