"Confound it, Sophy—I told you I felt quite fit." He reached the door, then turned. "Mind you hold on to the next invitation that seems promising. I need bucking up a bit. Mixing with my fellows, confound 'em! It will give me something to vent my spleen on, if nothing else. So long."
As it happened, Mrs. Arundel came with an invitation. It was for a dinner at the House of Commons. She had coaxed her Jack to give this dinner. Varesca had never been to a dinner at the House of Commons.
"You must come, Sophy," she said urgently. "It's going to be bwilliant." (Whenever Olive grew very intense she missed her "r's" and this suited her Greuze type charmingly.)
Sophy needed no urging. It seemed to her that this was the very thing for which Cecil had been wishing. She accepted for them both.
Olive leaned over and kissed her.
"Oh, I am so pleased. And that duck of an Amaldi will be in the seventh heaven."
Sophy could not help smiling at the idea of the quiet, reserved Amaldi being called a "duck."
"Why do you smile, Sophy? Don't you like him? Varesca says he is madly in love with you."
Sophy was annoyed to feel herself blushing, for this blush came wholly from vexation and she knew that Olive would interpret it otherwise.
"It's very stupid of Count Varesca to say such things," she said a little haughtily.