'
'Or perhaps an Englishwoman from Biarritz. They sometimes ride out as
far as this.'
'Dear Andre, if she were English, I should have known it at a
glance--and there the matter would have rested. I have at least a
practised eye for English women. I haven't lived half my life in
England without learning something.'
'Well, there are none but English at Biarritz at this season.'
'She was never English. Don't try to bully _me_. Besides, she
evidently knew the country. Otherwise, how could she have found the
Sentier des Contrebandiers?--She wasn't from Granjolaye?'
'There's no one at Granjolaye save the Queen herself.'
'Deceiver! Manuela told me last night. She has her little Court, her
maids-of-honour. I think my _inconnue_ looked like a maid-of-honour.'
'She has her aunt, old Mademoiselle Henriette, and a couple of German
women, countesses or baronesses or something, with unpronounceable
names.'
'I can't believe she's German. Still, I suppose there are _some_
Christian Germans. Perhaps....'
'They're both middle-aged. Past fifty, I should think.'
'Oh.--Ah, well, that disposes of them. But how do you know her Majesty
hasn't a friend, a guest, staying with her?'
'It's possible, but most unlikely, seeing the close retirement in
which she lives. She's never once gone beyond her garden, since she
came back there, three, four, years ago; nor received any visitors.
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