and had acquired their rolling r’s during a sojourn abroad.  Why should he doubt?  But he refrained from declaring his belief in their innocence of the unpopular nationality, owing to a desire to avoid trouble in that bedroom he couldn’t call his but was obliged so humiliatingly to speak of as ours.  Except, however, for the Twinklers, for all other persons of whom it was said that they were Germans, naturalized or not, immediate or remote, he had, instructed by his newspaper, what his called a healthy instinctive abhorrence.

“And she’s got it too,” he thought, much gratified at this bond between them, as he noted Anna-Felicitas’s hesitating and reluctant advance to meet the new guests.  “There’s proof that people are wrong.”

But what Anna-Felicitas had got was stage-fright; for here were the first strangers, the first real, proper visitors such as any shop or hotel might have.  Mr. Ridding was a friend.  So were the experts friends.  This was trade coming in,—­real business being done.  Anna-Felicitas hadn’t supposed she would be shy when the long-expected and prepared-for moment arrived, but she was.  And it was because the guests seemed so disconcertingly pleased to see her.  Even on the threshold the whole three stood smiling broadly at her.  She hadn’t been prepared for that, and it unnerved her.

“Charming, charming,” said the newcomers, advancing towards her and embracing the room and the tables and the Annas in one immense inclusive smile of appreciation.

“Know those?” asked Mr. Ridding, again cutting into Mr. Twist’s explanations.

“No,” said he.

“Wangelbeckers,” said Mr. Ridding briefly.

“Indeed,” said Mr. Twist, off whose ignorance the name glanced harmlessly.  “Well, as I was telling yous—­”

“But this is delicious—­this is a conception of genius,” said Mr. Wangelbecker all-embracingly, after he had picked up Anna-Felicitas’s tablets and restored them to her with a low bow.

“Charming, charming,” said Mrs. Wangelbecker, looking round.

“Real cunning,” said Miss Wangelbecker, “as they say here.”  And she laughed at Anna-Felicitas with an air of mutual understanding.

“Will you have tea or coffee?” asked Anna-Felicitas nervously.  “Or perhaps you would prefer frothed chocolate.  Each of these beverages can be—­”

“Delicious, delicious,” said Mrs. Wangelbecker, enveloping Anna-Felicitas in her smile.

“The frothed chocolate is very delicious,” said Anna-Felicitas with a kind of grave nervousness.

“Ah—­charming, charming,” said Mrs. Wangelbecker, obstinately appreciative.

“And there’s ice-cream as well,” said Anna-Felicitas, her eyes on her tablets so as to avoid seeing the Wangelbecker smile.  “And—­and a great many kinds of cakes—­”

“Well, hadn’t we better sit down first,” said Mr. Wangelbecker genially, “or are all the tables engaged?”

“Oh I beg your pardon,” said Anna-Felicitas, blushing and moving hastily towards a table laid for three.