"Is Eva here?" he shouted before he reached us.
"She went home long ago." Madame Mauer answered quietly, but I saw by her
quick shiver that she had not been at peace, all this time.
"She's not there. The place is all shut up."
"Doesn't she usually attend these festivities up the hill?" I asked.
His look went through me like a dagger. "Not today, you fool!"
"Well, why worry about her?" It was I who put it calmly. Six hours
before, I had not been calm; but now I looked back at that fever with
contempt.
"She's been to Stires's," he went on; and I could see the words hurt
him.
"Well, then, ask him."
"He was asleep. She left her beloved gramophone there. He found it when
he waked."
"Her gramophone?" I ejaculated. "Where is Stires?"
"Looking for her--and hoping he won't find her, curse him!"
Follet took hold of me and drew me down the steps. "Come along," he
said. Then he turned to Madame Mauer. "Sorry, madame. This is urgent.
We'll tell you all about it later."
Felicite Mauer did not approve of Follet, but he could do no wrong when
she was actually confronted with him. She took refuge in a shrug and
went within.
When we were outside the gate, I stood still and faced Follet. "What did
Ching Po tell you and Stires?"
"Don't you know?" Sheer surprise looked out at me from his eyes.
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