Chapter XXXII "Jean!" She looked round to meet the scowling gaze of Marcus Stepney. "I must say you're the limit," he said violently. "There are lots of things I imagine you'd do, but to stand there in broad daylight talking to a nigger----" "If I stand in broad daylight and talk to a card-sharper, Marcus, I think I'm just low enough to do almost anything." "A damned Moorish nigger," he spluttered, and her eyes narrowed. "Walk up the road with me, and if you possibly can, keep your voice down to the level which gentlemen usually employ when talking to women," she said. She was in better condition than he, and he was a little out of breath by the time they reached the Café de Paris, which was crowded at that hour with the afternoon tea people. He found a quiet corner, and by this time his anger, and a little of his courage, had evaporated. "I've only your interest at heart, Jean," he said almost pleadingly, "but you don't want people in our set to know you've been hobnobbing with this infernal Moor." "When you say 'our set,' to which set are you referring?" she asked unpleasantly. "Because if it is the set I believe you mean, they can't think too badly of me for my liking. It would be a degradation to me to be admired by your set, Marcus." "Oh, come now," he began feebly. "I thought I had made it clear to you and I hoped you would carry the marks to your dying day"--there was malice in her voice, and he winced--"that I do not allow you to dominate my life or to censor my actions. The 'nigger' you referred to was more of a gentleman than you can ever be, Marcus, because he has breed, which the Lord didn't give to you." The waiter brought the tea at that moment, and the conversation passed to unimportant topics till he had gone. "I'm rather rattled," he apologised. "I lost six thousand louis last night." "Then you have six thousand reasons why you should keep on good terms with me," said Jean smiling cheerfully. "That cave man stuff?" he asked, and shook his head. "She'd raise Cain." Jean was laughing inside herself, but she did not show her merriment. "You can but try," she said. "I've already told you how it can be done." "I'll try to-morrow," he said after a thought. "By heavens, I'll try to-morrow!" It was on the tip of her tongue to say "Not to-morrow," but she checked herself. Mordon came round with the car to pick her up soon after. Mordon! Her little chin jerked up with a gesture of annoyance, which she seldom permitted herself. And yet she felt unusually cheered. Her meeting with the Moor was a milestone in her life from which memory she could draw both encouragement and comfort. "You met Muley?" said Lydia. "How thrilling! What is he like, Jean? Was he a blackamoor?" "No, he wasn't a blackamoor," said the girl quietly. "He was an unusually intelligent man." "H'm," grunted her father. "How did you come to meet him, my dear?"