"Was it a great success?"
"Yes, absolutely; not merely as a work of art, and a marvellous likeness, but you know they say Le Grande has some mysterious psychical power, and can discover and expose startling deficiencies, or unsuspected traits, in the characters of his sitters," then, leaning a little nearer, and looking up into Mallender's eyes, she dropped her voice to a whisper, and breathed, "as for myself—he has painted my soul!"
"What! You don't say so, how extraordinary!" stammered her companion, not a little amazed. "I should like to see the picture—where is it?"
"Oh, Sir William bought it; it was a commission of his. I believe the price was fabulous"; then, in quite a different key, "do have some of this delicious iced asparagus!"
As Mrs. Villars conversed on various subjects, Mallender gathered that his beautiful neighbour was a woman of wide travel and experience, well-versed in all the social jargon of the day. Scotch moors, Norwegian fishings, foreign spas, had in turn been illuminated by her presence—and it was evident from her talk that she was as rich and extravagant as she was lovely and fascinating. There was a temporary silence as she helped herself to a dish, and a gay voice on his left addressed him.
The voice belonged to a lady who had preceded him to the dining-room; he had noticed her slim, graceful figure, and well-set-on head, with its coils of dark hair; the countenance now turned to him, though full of force and life, was disappointingly plain; it displayed a large mouth, a too retroussé nose, and a pair of wide-open grey eyes.
"I've been longing to get in a word edgeways," she began; "but now that Major de Lacey has captured the ear of a woman who usually obliterates the rest of the company, here is my chance! Let me introduce myself; I am Mrs. Brander, née Nancy Bond. Mrs. Tallboys is my aunt, and since Freddy is your relative, we are some sort of connection—shall we say twenty-first cousins?" and she looked at him persuasively.
"I shall be only too delighted, and proud," he answered with a bow.
"I was exported to Fan years ago, and she married me off—wasn't she clever?" As Mrs. Brander asked the question, her grey eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Clever?" repeated Mallender; "I don't quite know what you mean?"