"You are well, Fraeulein?"
Fanny turned in her bath astonished. "Why, yes, thank you! Did you think
I was ill?"
"I didn't know. I daren't go to bed till I see you out, for last week we
had a woman who killed herself in here, drowned in the water. I have
just remembered her."
"Well, I won't drown myself."
"I can never be sure now. She gave me such shock."
"Well, I'm getting out," said Fanny.
"What?"
"I'm getting out. Listen!" And naked feet padded and splashed down upon
the cork mat. "Now go to bed. I promise you I have no reason to
drown myself."
CHAPTER VI
THE LOVER IN THE LAMP
"How do you know you will meet him?" said the cold morning light; and
when she walked in it the city looked big enough to hide his face. In
the first street a girl said the name of Julien without knowing what it
was she said. But only a child shrieked in answer from a magic square of
chalk upon the pavement.
"You've been away for days and days," said her companions at the garage,
to show that they had noticed it. "Where have you been?"
The garage faded. "Verdun," she said; and Verdun lacy and perilous, hung
in her mind.
"Whom did you take?"
She struggled with the confusing image of the Russian. Before she could
reply the other said: "There's to be an inspection of the cars this
morning. You'll have to get something done to your car!"
Outside in the yard the sun was gay upon the thinly frosted-stones, but
in the shadow of the garage the glass and brass of seventy or eighty
cars glowed in a veiled bloom of polish.
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