of it. The Lord defend
me from hypocrisy, and there's no greater hypocrisy than one woman
takin' Heaven to witness that she thinks another a stunnin' beauty."

"You know nothing about it, Fritz. Mrs. Wolfstein's eyes would be lovely
if they hadn't that pawnbroking expression."

"Good, good! Now we're goin' to hear the voice of truth. Think it went
well, eh?"

He threw himself down on a sofa and began to light a cigarette.

"The evening? No, I don't."

"Why not?"

He crossed his long legs and leaned back, resting his head on a cushion,
and puffing the smoke towards the ceiling.

"They all seemed cheery--what? Even Lady Cardington only cried when you
were squallin'."

It was Lord Holme's habit to speak irreverently of anything he happened
to admire.

"She had reason to cry. Miss Filberte's accompaniment was a tragedy. She
never comes here again."

"What's the row with her? I thought her fingers got about over the piano
awful quick."

"They did--on the wrong notes."

She came and sat down beside him.

"You don't understand music, Fritz, thank goodness."

"I know I don't. But why thank what's-his-name?"

"Because the men that do are usually such anaemic, dolly things, such
shaved poodles with their Sunday bows on."

"What about that chap Pierce? He's up to all the scales and thingumies,
isn't he?"

"Robin--"

"Pierce I said."

"And I said Robin."

Lord Holme frowned and stuck out his under jaw. When he was irritated
he always made haste to look like a prize-fighter. His prominent
cheek-bones, and the abnormal development of bone in the lower part
of his face, helped the illusion whose creation was begun by his
expression.

"Look here, Vi," he said gruffly. "If you get up to any nonsense
there'll be another Carey business. I give you the tip, and you can just
take it in time. Don't you make any mistake. I'm not a Brenford, or a
Godley-Halstoun, or a Pennisford, to sit by and--"

"What a pity it is that your body's so big and your intelligence so
small!" she interrupted gently. "Why aren't there Sandow exercises for
increasing the brain?"

"I've quite enough brain to rub along with very well. If I'd chosen to
take it I could have been undersecretary---"

"You've told me that so many times, old darling, and I really can't
believe it. The Premier's very silly. Everybody knows that. But he's
still got just a faint idea of the few things the country won't stand.
And you are one of them, you tru