Mrs. Waters introduced “Our friend Monsieur Charrier and his daughter”—and the stout gentleman, who wore pale-hued boots shaped like the blades of oars, bowed until I could see the rolls of fat beneath his collar behind, then shot at me out of eyes like two black currants a glance that made me feel utterly disapproved-of and “found wanting.” The girl gave me a look less frankly measuring, while the whitest teeth in the world flashed in her little face, oval and smoothly olive as the shell of one of those eggs on the table. She was very lovely.... She held out her hand and gave mine the violent shake that foreigners seem to think so truly English; and then I slipped into the empty place next to Blanche, feeling thankful for the tea which Mrs. Waters handed to me in a large cup decorated with a group of Welsh women in the costume never seen except on china. I drank it in a kind of thirsty dream; I couldn’t have talked to save anyone’s life just then; but the talk was buzzing on all around. “—planned to go to-morrow; but shall you be here?” “—since we find ourselves in such charming neighbourhood, we could prolong our sojourn——” “Oh, yes, _do_ prolong it! So ripping for Blanche and me to have Odette to go about with! Of course, we never _see_ Billy and Nancy here!” “Don’t believe her, Odette!” he was laughing quite naturally. “—can’t call your shore your own, this year! _You_ don’t know what it is to have an engaged couple in the place!” “No? It is not agreeable?” The pretty French girl turned to smile at him again. “You do not encourage me to come, so!” “I’m writing a book about it——” “Theo dear, finish your tea and don’t talk so much!” “‘The Complete Gooseberry’ it’s called, if you know what that means.” “Ah! Place where you find the little babies! Yes?” “No! not place! People! Unengaged ones like us and you and everybody but _Them_.” “—Enchanted, madame!” “—with rules like this: ‘_Don’t cough outside doors; they hate it. Far better not go in_!’” “—More hot water, please, Blodwen——” “—_Don’t stalk them with a camera. You never get anything worth printing!_” “—And will I bring a two more fress negg, mam?” “_If one of them’s away, don’t ask who’s got the ink!_” “—No, but do you remember the bathing at Dinard?” “—Next year, perhaps——” “—start before lunch——” “—if the tide’s right——” “—But Monsieur Charrier, as you were saying——” “—icy!” “—as warm as warm!” “How was it to-day, Nancy?” “Nancy, I believe you stayed in too long, dear,” murmured Mrs. Waters gently to me as she passed my cup down again.