the open air with the children.
Again a picture of Haverford’s fair open face flashed into her mind. Well, she thought, if they happened to run into the Viscount on one or another of their excur-sions, it would certainly not be her fault. She was attempting to convince herself of this when Mrs. Parthemer called to her. “Jennifer, my dear. Monsieur Dupin is going to have a good session with us. I shall be a great deal better after it.”
“Madame must not expect miracles,” said the Frenchman. “The forces must be in alignment. The magnetic energy must be flowing.Or nothing can be accomplished.”
Leaving himself a way to crawl out, thought Jennifer with contempt.
But Mrs. Parthemer trilled. “Nonsense, I have absolute faith in your ability. And that’s the thing, isn’t it, my dear Monsieur Dupin? One must have faith.”
The Frenchman bowed gallantly. “Madame knows much about the science.”
“Of course I do,” Mrs. Parthemer chattered. “I have read a great deal about the master. And the Societé de l’Harmonic Universelle.”
Jennifer barely refrained from wincing at Mrs. Parthemer’s garbled pronunciation of the French, but she was quick to note that the dark Frenchman’s face did not betray any emotion at all.
“Indeed,” said he, with a suavity that Jennifer much mistrusted. “Madame will be very well pleased. I assure her of that.”
“I have allotted to you the Red Room and the little sitting room next it,” said Mrs. Parthemer. “I’m sure there will be room there for your baquets.” She raised a trembling hand to her forehead. “Now I find myself feeling rather feeble and shall have to ask Gibbons to put me to bed directly. We have houseguests coming in tomorrow, too. I must be up and about. Miss Whitcomb will show you the Red Room. And Jennifer, when you have done that, Betty can show Monsieur to his room.”
“Yes, Madame,” replied Jennifer, careful to keep her aversion to this task off her face.
Mrs. Parthemer was soon supported out of the room by Gibbons on one side and, strange to say, Ingleton on the other. Jennifer found herself alone with Dupin. The Frenchman’s dark eyes probed hers. “Mademoiselle wonders how I knew she was not always a governess,” he said, smiling briefly.
Jennifer did not reply, but this did not seem to bother him in the least. The monkey, who had looked up and met the Frenchman’s eyes, shivered suddenly and buried his face in her shoulder. She could feel his whole tiny body trembling with fear.
“I am not a magician,” said Dupin. “Nor yet a charlatan, as your so beautiful eyes tell me you believe.”
With difficulty Jennifer kept an expressionless face. Admitting to anything might damage her in Madame’s eyes.
“I am a scientist,” declared Dupin. “I harness the Life Force of the world and use it to cure.”
Jennifer did not think it politic to let this man know how much she disliked him. “If you will follow me, I will show you the Red Room.”
“Pardon,” said the Frenchman. “I see that I am keeping Mademoiselle, perhaps from a rendezvous with her bien aime, n'est-ce pas?”
“Indeed not,” replied Jennifer, startled into saying more than she meant to. “I have no bien aime.”
Dupin shook his head. “Are the men in this place gone blind? Mademoiselle has a classic beauty. It is to be regretted that she hides it under such dark drab clothes.”
“I am a governess,” replied Jennifer evenly. “For a governess beauty is at best a liability.”
“As I remarked before. Mademoiselle has not always been a governess. I believe she was once surrounded by handsome young courtiers, as her beauty so richly de-serves.”
Jennifer flushed and was annoyed with herself for doing so. This man’s words were bringing back memories that were better kept buried. “I wish only to do as Madame commanded me,” she said. “And then I must check on my charges.”
“Of course,” replied Dupin. “Show
Again a picture of Haverford’s fair open face flashed into her mind. Well, she thought, if they happened to run into the Viscount on one or another of their excur-sions, it would certainly not be her fault. She was attempting to convince herself of this when Mrs. Parthemer called to her. “Jennifer, my dear. Monsieur Dupin is going to have a good session with us. I shall be a great deal better after it.”
“Madame must not expect miracles,” said the Frenchman. “The forces must be in alignment. The magnetic energy must be flowing.Or nothing can be accomplished.”
Leaving himself a way to crawl out, thought Jennifer with contempt.
But Mrs. Parthemer trilled. “Nonsense, I have absolute faith in your ability. And that’s the thing, isn’t it, my dear Monsieur Dupin? One must have faith.”
The Frenchman bowed gallantly. “Madame knows much about the science.”
“Of course I do,” Mrs. Parthemer chattered. “I have read a great deal about the master. And the Societé de l’Harmonic Universelle.”
Jennifer barely refrained from wincing at Mrs. Parthemer’s garbled pronunciation of the French, but she was quick to note that the dark Frenchman’s face did not betray any emotion at all.
“Indeed,” said he, with a suavity that Jennifer much mistrusted. “Madame will be very well pleased. I assure her of that.”
“I have allotted to you the Red Room and the little sitting room next it,” said Mrs. Parthemer. “I’m sure there will be room there for your baquets.” She raised a trembling hand to her forehead. “Now I find myself feeling rather feeble and shall have to ask Gibbons to put me to bed directly. We have houseguests coming in tomorrow, too. I must be up and about. Miss Whitcomb will show you the Red Room. And Jennifer, when you have done that, Betty can show Monsieur to his room.”
“Yes, Madame,” replied Jennifer, careful to keep her aversion to this task off her face.
Mrs. Parthemer was soon supported out of the room by Gibbons on one side and, strange to say, Ingleton on the other. Jennifer found herself alone with Dupin. The Frenchman’s dark eyes probed hers. “Mademoiselle wonders how I knew she was not always a governess,” he said, smiling briefly.
Jennifer did not reply, but this did not seem to bother him in the least. The monkey, who had looked up and met the Frenchman’s eyes, shivered suddenly and buried his face in her shoulder. She could feel his whole tiny body trembling with fear.
“I am not a magician,” said Dupin. “Nor yet a charlatan, as your so beautiful eyes tell me you believe.”
With difficulty Jennifer kept an expressionless face. Admitting to anything might damage her in Madame’s eyes.
“I am a scientist,” declared Dupin. “I harness the Life Force of the world and use it to cure.”
Jennifer did not think it politic to let this man know how much she disliked him. “If you will follow me, I will show you the Red Room.”
“Pardon,” said the Frenchman. “I see that I am keeping Mademoiselle, perhaps from a rendezvous with her bien aime, n'est-ce pas?”
“Indeed not,” replied Jennifer, startled into saying more than she meant to. “I have no bien aime.”
Dupin shook his head. “Are the men in this place gone blind? Mademoiselle has a classic beauty. It is to be regretted that she hides it under such dark drab clothes.”
“I am a governess,” replied Jennifer evenly. “For a governess beauty is at best a liability.”
“As I remarked before. Mademoiselle has not always been a governess. I believe she was once surrounded by handsome young courtiers, as her beauty so richly de-serves.”
Jennifer flushed and was annoyed with herself for doing so. This man’s words were bringing back memories that were better kept buried. “I wish only to do as Madame commanded me,” she said. “And then I must check on my charges.”
“Of course,” replied Dupin. “Show
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