I came to them swiftly. "Have you met with an accident?" I inquired. "I have. I've ricked my ankle. Susan, this is Captain Pleydell, whose cousin is going to marry Piers. Captain Pleydell, this is Susan--my only niece. Now I'm going to sit down." I escorted her to a chair. "That's better. Captain Pleydell, have you seen the Château?" "Often," said I. "A large grey building with a red keep, close to the scent-shop." "One to you," said Mrs. Waterbrook. "Now I'll begin again. Captain Pleydell, have you seen the inside of the Château?" "I have not." "Then you ought," said Mrs. Waterbrook, "to be ashamed of yourself. You've been six months in Pau, and you've never taken the trouble to go and look at one of the finest collections of tapestries in the world. What are you doing to-morrow morning?" "Going to see the inside of the Château," I said. "Good. So's Susan. She'll meet you at the gate on the Boulevard at half-past ten. She only arrived yesterday, and now her mother wants her, and she's got to go back. She's wild to see the Château before she goes, and I can't take her because of this silly foot." "I'm awfully sorry," said I. "But it's an ill wind, etc." "Susan," said Mrs. Waterbrook, "that's a compliment. Is it your first?" "No," said Susan. "But it's the slickest." "The what?" cried her aunt. "I mean, I didn't see it coming." I began to like Susan. "'Slickest,'" snorted Mrs. Waterbrook. "Nasty vulgar slang. If you were going to be here longer, Captain Pleydell's wife should give you lessons in English. She isn't a teacher, you know. She's an American--with a silver tongue. And there's that wretched bell." She rose to her feet. "If I'd remembered that Manon had more than three acts, I wouldn't have come." She turned to me. "Is Jill here to-night?" "She is." "Will you tell her to come and find us in the next interval?" "I will." "Good. Half-past ten to-morrow. Good night." On the way to the doors of the theatre she stopped to speak with someone, and Susan came running back. "Captain Pleydell, is your wife here?" I nodded. "Well, then, when Jill's with Aunt Eleanor, d'you think I could--I mean, if you wouldn't mind, I'd--I'd love a lesson in English." I began to like Susan more than ever. "I'll see if she's got a spare hour to-morrow," I said. "At half-past ten." Susan knitted her brows. "No, don't upset that," she said quickly. "It doesn't matter. I want to be able to tell them I had you alone. But if I could say I'd met your wife, too, it'd be simply golden." As soon as I could speak-- "You wicked, forward child," I said. "You----" "Toodle-oo," said Susan. "Don't be late."