Madame de Cominges; they are staying in this hotel," I explained.
"Is the daughter married?" Granny questioned me without ceremony.
"Mlle. de Cominges is an unmarried lady," I answered, purposely speaking in a low voice and as respectfully as possible.
"Lively?"
"I do not understand the question."
"You are not dull with her? Does she understand Russian? De Grieux picked it up in Moscow. He had a smattering of it."
I explained that Mlle. de Cominges had never been in Russia.
"Bonjour," said Granny, turning abruptly to Mlle. Blanche.
"Bonjour, madame." Mlle. Blanche made an elegant and ceremonious curtsey, hastening, under the cover of modesty and politeness, to express by her whole face and figure her extreme astonishment at such a strange question and manner of address.
"Oh, she casts down her eyes, she is giving herself airs and graces; you can see the sort she is at once; an actress of some kind. I'm stopping here below in the hotel," she said, turning suddenly to the General. "I shall be your neighbour. Are you glad or sorry?"
"Oh, Auntie! do believe in my sincere feelings…of pleasure," the General responded. He had by now recovered himself to some extent, and as, upon occasion, he could speak appropriately and with dignity, and even with some pretension to effectiveness, he began displaying his gifts now. "We have been so alarmed and upset by the news of your illness… We received such despairing telegrams, and all at once…"
"Come, you are lying, you are lying," Granny interrupted at once.
"But how could you"—the General, too, made haste to interrupt, raising his voice and trying not to notice the word "lying"—"how could you bring yourself to undertake such a journey? You must admit that at your age and in your state of health…at any rate it is all so unexpected that our surprise is very natural. But I am so pleased…and we all" (he began smiling with an ingratiating and delighted air) "will try our utmost that you shall spend your season here as agreeably as possible…"
"Come, that's enough; that's idle chatter; you are talking nonsense, as usual. I can dispose of my time for myself.
