And of what sex, madame, are these new acquaintances, if one may ask ?" "They are men, _cher pere_--bold, bad Englishmen!--think of it! but I can only tell you the name of one of them--the other is problematical--he has merely been spoken of as, 'My friend'-- but he is young, I gather, so just the affaire of Mere Imogen!" "Why, that's likely!" chirped Madame Imogen, with a strong American accent, in her French English.

"But I do pine for some gay things down here, don't you, Father ?" Pere Anselme was heard to murmur that he found youth enough in his hostess, if you asked him.
"At the same time, we must welcome these Englishmen," he added, "should they be people of cultivation." He had heard that, in their upper classes, the Englishmen of to-day were still the greatest gentlemen left, and he would be pleased to meet examples of them.
"They will arrive at about five o'clock, I suppose," Sabine announced.
"Have you seen about their rooms, Mere Imogen?
Lord Fordyce is to have the Louis XIV suite, and the friend the one beyond; and we will only let them come into our house if they do not bore us.

We shall dine in the _salle-a-manger_ to-night and sit in the big salon." These rooms were seldom opened, except when Princess Torniloni came to stay and brought her son, Sabine's godchild, who had elaborate nurseries prepared for him.

No other visitor had ever crossed the causeway, and Madame Imogen's cute mind was asking itself why clemency had been accorded to these two Britons.

The English, as she knew, were not a favored race with her employer.
They had been together for about two years now, she and Sabine--and were excellent friends.
Madame Imogen Aubert had been in great straits in Paris, when Sabine had heard of her through one of her many American acquaintances.