Barney grinned. He looked at her eager face. "And what can you do?"
"Anything." She nodded. "Truly."
Barney had finished eating and he began to fill his pipe. "You should have gone to see Stephen Girard," he said. "Master Girard takes an interest in French emigres. Where have you been staying? You may speak your tongue, ma'moiselle. I shall understand you."
She answered quickly now. She said she had been staying at Denny's lodging house in Water Street. "For the last ten nights, since the ship docked."
He was surprised. "Then you sailed in our convoy?"
"Oui!" Again her smile flashed. "That is why I come to you. I knew your name."
"I see." He sipped the coffee Absolom had brought. Tobacco smoke was filling the room. "But I can't employ you, you know."
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He blew out another cloud of smoke, frowning a little. "Have you any money at all?"
"No."
"You came to the wrong man. This is entirely a male establishment. And I don't have any respectable friends."
"Oh, sir." She shook her head.
"I should say the respectable acquaintances I have would hardly consider my word a recommendation, mistress. You'd be badly armed with a note from me. If I sent you to Mrs. Rush, for instance, she'd be sure I'd tampered with your virtue." He looked across to Absolom. "Wouldn't she, Absolom?"
Absolom grinned widely. "She might, sir."
Barney laughed outright. Then he asked, suddenly, "Are you equipped to do hair?" He waved his hand, the big pipe in it. "Can you—take care of a lady?"
She eyed him. "Yes."
"I shall employ you." He looked very pleased with himself. "Absolom, bring me pen and paper. I want to write a note." He was thinking aloud. "I'll employ you, and pay you for a year. Your mistress will be Madam Harris. You'll live with her."
"Live with her?" she echoed. She looked across at his bent head; he was writing rapidly. Another Negro was clearing away plates; Absolom was tending the fire; they were doing this while her fate was being decided. And it was done so quickly!
"Here is the note." Barney held it out to her.
She didn't move toward him, so he rose and walked the few feet between them.
She felt the note between her fingers. "This establishment—" she began.
Barney interrupted. "A gold piece for each month. Twelve of them. And Absolom will take you. 'Tis not far."
In two minutes exactly she was standing in the little court; the bare bushes shook their branches at her. In her hand was the note and in her bag were twelve shining gold pieces. "This way, miss," said Absolom.
They turned in the opposite direction from which she had come. The alley was narrow and they walked in the center of it. At the comer of Second Street, they turned left.
Absolom carried her box on his shoulder. He nodded, spoke a good morning to John Sparhawk, apothecary and bookseller, whose
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shop was on the comer. He spoke to everyone, waving, and making bows to people passing in carriages. Lucie decided he knew almost everyone of the fifty thousand in the city.
They passed a church, and a graveyard. Lucie crossed herself. It wasn't right to have graveyards right in the center of the city, where people lived. It was very strange.
They came to Second and High Streets. They turned right.
Absolom said, "We go to Sixth and High."
Lucie was slowing her steps, and Absolom agreeably slowed his to match. Nevertheless, the moment of arriving at their destination was not much delayed. Lucie drew a deep breath as Absolom knocked. The door opened.
"I have a note for—" Lucie stopped. She could not find the right words. Absolom came to her rescue.
He talked fast. She did not understand his accent but she found herseK in a small room to the left of a hall with a beautiful stairway. Her box was on the floor beside her, and she was waiting alone.
Joshua came out of the dining room. He caught a momentary glimpse of a female figure as he went by the door. But he paid no attention, and went on.
A ship was coming in that morning; she had been sighted downriver yesterday. His chief clerk was probably down at the wharves and he should go himself. But for some reason which he himself could not fathom, Joshua Harris had, for the two weeks he had been home, varied between extreme irritability and good humor. This morning there was a scowl on his face.
He stood uncertainly in the hall. Then he turned around and made off. When he passed the room at the left of the hall, he noticed the female was still there. Once more he swung around, and came to its doorway.
"Can I do something for you?" he snapped.
Lucie had been standing at the window. She had kept her cloak on. The long minutes had passed much too slowly. The curt masculine voice made her whirl.
She made him a quick curtsey. Then she answered his question. "No, sir," she said. "I wait."
Joshua used his eyes to advantage. The girl was poor, she was French, she was lovely. And in some mysterious fashion, she was in his house. He came into the room.
"For whom do you wait, ma'moiselle?" He looked down into
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deep blue eyes. Great heavy auburn braids were wrapped like a coronet around her head. In her tiny pierced ears she wore old-fashioned gold earrings. "For me?"
"Non, m'sieur." Her hands were clasped tight around the purse into which Barney had stuffed the money. She knew that gentlemen had the right to stare, but she dropped her own eyes. "I bring a message to Madame Harris."
"You do?" said Joshua, puzzled. "What is your name?"
"Lucie, sir." She looked up at him again. "I wait for madame. She has had her tea, and she will presently descend."
"She will?" Joshua smiled.
"So it was related to me, sir," Lucie said bravely. "I am going to serve her. It is contained in here." She held up the letter. Then another thought occurred to her. "I am recompensed."
Joshua was completely bewildered, "Who recompensed you, Lucie?" he asked.
"Captain Barney, sir."
"Barney?" repeated Joshua. Then he grinned. "God Almighty, I might have known. So he's back?" He turned. "I'm sure madam will be down soon."
He went out into the hall. The butler was placing the mail on a salver, Joshua said, "Marston, have the carriage brought around."
Marston, the salver in hand, said politely, "I'm sorry, sir. Her ladyship has ordered the carriage for ten."
Joshua was already halfway up the stairs when this piece of information floated up to him. "Christ Almighty," he muttered.
Marston was speaking again. "Shall I inform the stabler you want a horse saddled, sir?"
Joshua shouted, "Yes, damn it!" He continued up the stairs, and met Douglass at the top. She was carrying her cloak, masses of fur fell from it. She smelled of some perfume. Joshua regarded her for a moment. "You have a present," he announced and laughed. "You look beautiful this morning, too," he conceded.
Douglass looked amazed, "Who else is beautiful, Joshua?"
"You'll see," he said, "And Barney sent her,"
He heard Douglass' steps quicken as she ran down. Joshua then entered his own room. His man was straightening it, "My boots," Joshua said. Ten minutes later he entered Bladen's court.
The court ran off Elfreth's Alley, near Second Street. Three houses faced onto its gardens. The middle one was Barney's, Joshua
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stepped up the one low wide step and knocked on the white door. Absolom opened it.
"Where's tie captain?" Joshua asked, stepping into the square hall, and handing Absolom his scarlet lined cloak.
"Will you come with me, sir?" Absolom said.
Joshua followed him upstairs. Through an open doorway he saw the back of Barney's head as he lounged in a big chair in front of the blazing fire, his feet propped up on a stool. He untangled his long legs and stood up as Joshua came in.