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Authors: Susan Barrie
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startled.
“But that is the dress of the girls who serve drinks in the bar, and wait on the terrace!” she exclaimed.
“But of course.” Marianne’s smile this time was quite definitely amused. “And we flatter ourselves that it is a very attractive dress, a modernised version of the dress of the country until a few years ago, worn still in a good many of the villages.”
“But not as short as the girls wear it here!” Toni exclaimed, remembering the musical comedy aspect of the girls who floated about the terrace accepting orders for drinks and cigarettes. One or two of them looked like blonde dolls, and the only dark one amongst them was so constantly engaged in inviting admiring glances that sh e was not as effi ci ent as the others.
“I am removing Trudi Dorfus from terrace duties, and putting you in her place,” Mademoiselle Raveaux confessed at last. “She has given very little satisfaction since we engaged her, and it occurred to me in the car yesterday that you were rather wasted on the floors. You have a certain superficial attractiveness which should be made use of, and at the same time I think you are modest enough not to embarrass the customers—I’m thinking of the men, of course—by flirting outrageously with them. That was Trudi’s weakness, and is the reason why I have de ci ded to dispense with her services.”
Toni flushed scarlet.
“But I am not a—not a waitress!” she protested. She had nearly said, ‘I am not a musical-comedy barmaid!’ but prevented herself just in time. “And I know nothing at all about waiting. Surely there are other girls here who would be more suitable than I’m lik el y to be... ? ”
Marianne’s eyes glinted maliciously,
“What you actually mean, I’m afraid,” she said softly “is that you think you’re a little above waiting on the terrace ? You don’t mind ruining your hands on the upper floors, where no one is likely to see you, but you shrink like a modest violet from appearing on the terrace in what you no doubt think of as a chocolate-box uniform, often encountered in the theatre when the programme-girl shows you to your seat! Well, my dear, that sort of attitude is quite all right if you happen to be completely independent, but not here in an hotel where you are dependent on the generosity of the management to provide you with a job.”
“But Monsieur Antoine told me only two nights ago that there would very soon be a vacancy in the office which I could fill,” Toni put in rather desperately.
“Oh, he did, did he?” Marianne tightened her li ps. “We ll , it is I who organise matters here, and just because you probably pestered him and made complaints—”
“I did nothing of the sort!”
“We ll ,” shrugging her shoulders impatien tl y, “you probably looked pathetic and his heart was touched, which it can be sometimes for the most extraordinary of reasons! But the sooner you get it into your head that, while you wish to remain here, it is I who wi ll find work for you and not Monsieur Antoine, then the better it will be for you and everybody else. Monsieur Antoine has absolute confidence in me, and I assure you that if you were so foolish as to make an appeal to him he would snub you as you deserve to be snubbed.”
Toni remained absolutely silent.
Mademoise ll e Raveaux, looking s li ghtly ruffled, crushed out her cigarette in an ashtray, and li ghted another.
“And while we are on the subject of Monsieur Antoine, you wi ll in future address him only as Monsieur , do you understand ? To you he is not Mr. Antoine, or even Monsieur Antoine! He is the owner of this hotel, and has nothing in common with a silly little English girl who was too stupid to keep the job she had in Switzerland!”
Toni spoke stiffly.
“When do you wish me to apply for my uniform to the linen-keeper ? ” she asked.
“Ah, that is better!” Marianne exclaimed. “A little co-operation and we shall all be much happier.” She attempted to
“But that is the dress of the girls who serve drinks in the bar, and wait on the terrace!” she exclaimed.
“But of course.” Marianne’s smile this time was quite definitely amused. “And we flatter ourselves that it is a very attractive dress, a modernised version of the dress of the country until a few years ago, worn still in a good many of the villages.”
“But not as short as the girls wear it here!” Toni exclaimed, remembering the musical comedy aspect of the girls who floated about the terrace accepting orders for drinks and cigarettes. One or two of them looked like blonde dolls, and the only dark one amongst them was so constantly engaged in inviting admiring glances that sh e was not as effi ci ent as the others.
“I am removing Trudi Dorfus from terrace duties, and putting you in her place,” Mademoiselle Raveaux confessed at last. “She has given very little satisfaction since we engaged her, and it occurred to me in the car yesterday that you were rather wasted on the floors. You have a certain superficial attractiveness which should be made use of, and at the same time I think you are modest enough not to embarrass the customers—I’m thinking of the men, of course—by flirting outrageously with them. That was Trudi’s weakness, and is the reason why I have de ci ded to dispense with her services.”
Toni flushed scarlet.
“But I am not a—not a waitress!” she protested. She had nearly said, ‘I am not a musical-comedy barmaid!’ but prevented herself just in time. “And I know nothing at all about waiting. Surely there are other girls here who would be more suitable than I’m lik el y to be... ? ”
Marianne’s eyes glinted maliciously,
“What you actually mean, I’m afraid,” she said softly “is that you think you’re a little above waiting on the terrace ? You don’t mind ruining your hands on the upper floors, where no one is likely to see you, but you shrink like a modest violet from appearing on the terrace in what you no doubt think of as a chocolate-box uniform, often encountered in the theatre when the programme-girl shows you to your seat! Well, my dear, that sort of attitude is quite all right if you happen to be completely independent, but not here in an hotel where you are dependent on the generosity of the management to provide you with a job.”
“But Monsieur Antoine told me only two nights ago that there would very soon be a vacancy in the office which I could fill,” Toni put in rather desperately.
“Oh, he did, did he?” Marianne tightened her li ps. “We ll , it is I who organise matters here, and just because you probably pestered him and made complaints—”
“I did nothing of the sort!”
“We ll ,” shrugging her shoulders impatien tl y, “you probably looked pathetic and his heart was touched, which it can be sometimes for the most extraordinary of reasons! But the sooner you get it into your head that, while you wish to remain here, it is I who wi ll find work for you and not Monsieur Antoine, then the better it will be for you and everybody else. Monsieur Antoine has absolute confidence in me, and I assure you that if you were so foolish as to make an appeal to him he would snub you as you deserve to be snubbed.”
Toni remained absolutely silent.
Mademoise ll e Raveaux, looking s li ghtly ruffled, crushed out her cigarette in an ashtray, and li ghted another.
“And while we are on the subject of Monsieur Antoine, you wi ll in future address him only as Monsieur , do you understand ? To you he is not Mr. Antoine, or even Monsieur Antoine! He is the owner of this hotel, and has nothing in common with a silly little English girl who was too stupid to keep the job she had in Switzerland!”
Toni spoke stiffly.
“When do you wish me to apply for my uniform to the linen-keeper ? ” she asked.
“Ah, that is better!” Marianne exclaimed. “A little co-operation and we shall all be much happier.” She attempted to
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