and totally unmotived scowl. Otherwise the very Chinamen ignored her
existence.

She had interrupted Davidson in his reflections. Being alone with her,
her silence and open-mouthed immobility made him uncomfortable. He was
easily sorry for people. It seemed rude not to take any notice of her.
He said, in allusion to the poster:

"Are you having these people in the house?"

She was so unused to being addressed by customers that at the sound of
his voice she jumped in her seat. Davidson was telling us afterwards
that she jumped exactly like a figure made of wood, without losing her
rigid immobility. She did not even move her eyes; but she answered him
freely, though her very lips seemed made of wood.

"They stayed here over a month. They are gone now. They played every
evening."

"Pretty good, were they?"

To this she said nothing; and as she kept on staring fixedly in front
of her, her silence disconcerted Davidson. It looked as if she had not
heard him--which was impossible. Perhaps she drew the line of speech
at the expression of opinions. Schomberg might have trained her, for
domestic reasons, to keep them to herself. But Davidson felt in honour
obliged to converse; so he said, putting his own interpretation on this
surprising silence:

"I see--not much account. Such bands hardly ever are. An Italian lot,