“Madame will take her egg-and-milk before going to rehearsal?”

“Yes, Yvette. Bring it to me here, please.”

“You have a rehearsal to-day?” I asked. “I hope I’m not detaining you.”

“Not at all. The call is for three o’clock. This is the second one, and they fixed the hour to suit me. It is really my first rehearsal, because at the previous one I was too hoarse to sing a note.”

I rose to go.

“Wouldn’t you like to come with me to the theatre?” she said with an adorable accent of invitation.

My good fortune staggered me.

After she had taken her egg-and-milk we set out.