Even Mrs. Dyckman was afraid of Mrs. Abby,
who lacked the suavities of Wotton. Mrs. Abby gave Kedzie the chill
of her life, and Kedzie responded with an ardent hatred.
The maid, a young Frenchwoman, found her black dress with its black
silk apron an appropriate uniform, since her father, three brothers,
a dozen cousins, and two or three of her sweethearts were at the
wars. Some of them were dead, she knew, and the others were on their
way along the red stream that was bleeding France white, according
to German hopes.
Liliane, being a foreigner, saw in Kedzie the pathos of the alien,
and with the unequaled democracy of the French, forgave her her
plebeiance for that sake. She welcomed Kedzie's beauty, too,
and regarded her as a doll of the finest ware, whom it would be
fascinating to dress up. Kedzie and Liliane would prosper famously.
Liliane resolved that when Kedzie appeared at dinner she should
reflect credit not only on "Monsieur Zheem," but on Liliane as well.
When Kedzie's trunk arrived and Liliane drew forth the confections
of Lady Powell-Carewe she knew that she had all the necessary
weapons for a sensation.
Kedzie felt more aristocracy in being fluttered over by a French
maid with an accent than in anything she had encountered yet.
Liliane's phrase "Eef madame pair-meet" was a constant tribute
to her distinction.
Jim retired to his own dressing-room and faced the veiled contempt
of his valet, leaving Kedzie to the ministrations of Liliane, who
drew the tub and saw that it was just hot enough, sprinkled the
aromatic bath-salts, and laid out the towels and Kedzie's things.
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