Madame De Rosa nodded her approval to Margaret in a rather officious
manner, much as if she were congratulating her pupil on having soundly
beaten an unruly and dangerous dog.
'Well done,' the nod said. 'Beat him again, the very next time he does
it!' But Margaret either did not understand at all, or did not care for
Madame De Rosa's approbation, for she returned no answering glance of
intelligence.
'I hope,' she said, 'that I have not kept you too long.' The former prima donna looked at a tiny watch set in diamonds, the gift
of a great tenor whom she had taught.
'Not at all,' she said. 'It's not twenty minutes since we came.' She put the watch to her ear and listened. Nine women out of ten are
generally in doubt as to whether their watches have not just stopped.
'Yes,' she said. 'It is going.' Logotheti remembered how long the seconds had seemed while he was
taking Margaret up in the lift, and it seemed as if hours had passed
since then.
'Good-bye,' said Margaret, holding out one hand and passing the other
through Madame De Rosa's arm to lead her away.
'Good-bye,' Logotheti answered. 'Of course,' he continued, 'you must
please remember that if I can be of any use in making investments for
you, you have only to send me your commands. I am at your service for
anything connected with the money market.' 'Thank you,' said Margaret, ambiguously, as to the tone in which the
words were spoken, but with a quick glance of approval.
He had meant his speech for Madame De Rosa, who had probably been told
that Margaret came to see him on a matter of business. But it was quite
unnecessary. The little Neapolitan woman could judge of the state of a
love affair at any moment with a certainty as unerring as that of a
great cook who can tell by a mere glance what stage of development the
finest sauce has reached. She supported Logotheti's fiction, however,
without a smile.
'Ah, my dear,' she said, 'always consult him, if he will help you!
Bonanni owes half her fortune to his judgment, and I could certainly
not live as I do if he had not given me his advice and kind
assistance.' 'You exaggerate, dear lady,' said Logotheti, opening the door for them,
and following them into the hall.
'Not in the least,' laughed Madame De Rosa, 'though I am sure that
Cordova is quite able to take care of herself and is much too proud to
owe you anything.' She often called Margaret by her stage name, as artists do among
themselves, but it jarred disagreeably on Logotheti's ear.