.. or ...'
'Or some fly-blown celebrity.'
'Sans doute!'
The door opened and the last guest appeared. It was young Coniston (in
khaki), who was invariably asked when there was to be music. He was
so useful.
He approached Landi at once.
'Ah, cher maitre, quel plaisir!' he said with his South Kensington
accent and his Oxford manner. (He had been a Cambridge man.)
'C'est vrai?' asked Landi, who had his own way of dismissing a person in
a friendly way.
Coniston began talking to him of a song. Landi waved him off and went up
to Mrs Mitchell, said something which made her laugh and blush and try
to hit him with her fan--the fan, the assault and the manner were all
out of date, but Mrs Mitchell made no pretence at going with the
times--and his object was gained.
* * * * *
Sir Tito took Edith in to dinner.
CHAPTER XVII
As they found their places at the long table (Sir Tito had exchanged
cards, as though he meant to fight a duel with Edith's destined partner)
of course the two turned their backs to one another. On her other side
was Mr Mitchell. When Madame Frabelle noticed this, she gave Edith an
arch shake of the head, and made a curious warning movement with her
hand.
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