“Well, who do you think the woman could have been? She was not English. What could she want with me to be so angry as she was?” “Impossible to say. Most likely it was not you but old Laure she was angry with--some business rival perhaps, who had wanted the post of forewoman for herself.” “Oh, I never thought of that! But then the man who drew her back, and then locked her in the room, and ran away?” “Are you _sure_ it was a man?” “Yes. I just saw enough of his figure to be sure of that. And I saw his hand drawing the curtain. Besides, she called him ‘Eugène,’ pronouncing the name in the French fashion ‘Eugène’. Can you find out who this Eugène was?” “If he was a Frenchman I should hazard the guess that he also was a friend--perhaps a relation, of Marie Laure’s. My advice is that you should not worry yourself about this unpleasant incident, should try to forget it in fact----” “How can I? It’s the sort of thing it’s impossible to forget!” “Well, well, don’t think about it more than you can help. Keep your thoughts on your business, and on the good beginning you’ve made. Now all that remains is for you to keep it up, and you’ll soon make your fortune. Did you have many people at the rooms yesterday?” “They were crammed all the afternoon. But oh, I didn’t like it! I don’t like these ‘smart’ and would-be smart people at all. The women are loud-voiced, aggressive, horrid. And the men--well, they’re worse. City men buying dresses and hats for actresses, not real actresses, you know, but chorus-girls or what they call ‘show’ girls, who can’t even sing in a chorus.” “Hush. You mustn’t criticise your clients. All you have to do is to see they pay well for what they buy.” “Ah, but my poor Gerard wouldn’t like it. I know how furious he would be if he knew!” “Gerard would like you to make money, for both your sakes. You needn’t tell him any more than you like about these people. You can tell him about the duchesses, and say nothing about the chorus-girls. And by-the-bye, the Duchess de Vicenza is going abroad; that’s the woman who stood bail for your husband, you know.” “Who is she? I’ve never seen her.” “She’s a dear, kind creature, and very rich. But she’s very old, and doesn’t go about at all. She wants to let her place ‘The Briars’. Now you want a change, and it would be good for your business to have a place near town where you could invite your more important clients.” “Oh, no, no. I----” “Listen. If Madame de Vicenza would let this place for a song, as I think she would, you must take my advice, and rent it for the summer. I have an idea that by-and-by you might turn your business into a company--when you’ve worked it up a bit, you know, and make something out of the sale. You must just let them know, therefore, that you’re at ‘The Briars,’ and I bet you anything you like you’ll have a circle of some sort round you in no time, out of which you shall form your company.”