her face.

"May I speak to you a moment?" she said shyly.

"Why certainly."

The American took off his hat, and stood looking down at her kindly. "My
name is Burton, Senator Burton, at your service! What can I do for you?".

The simple little question brought back all Nancy's usual happy confidence.
How silly she had been just now to feel so distressed.

"I'm Mrs. Dampier, and I can't make the hotel people understand what I
say," she explained. "I mean Monsieur and Madame Poulain--and the nephew--I
think his name is Jules--though he is supposed to speak English, is so
very stupid."

"Yes, indeed he is!" chimed in the girl whom her brother had called
"Daisy." "I've long ago given up trying to make that boy understand
anything, even in French. But they do work him most awfully hard, you know;
they have women in each day to help with the cleaning, but that poor lad
does everything else--everything, that is, that the Poulains don't do
themselves."

"What is it that you can't make them understand?" asked Senator Burton
indulgently. "Tell us what it is you want to ask them?"

"I only wish to know at what time my husband went out, and whether he left
any message for me," answered Nancy rather shamefacedly. "You see the hotel
is so full that they put us on different floors, and I haven't seen him