"Easy, easy, my impetuous young friend. Did I say that I was not satisfied—or that I refuse to consider the matter? But there are considerations."
"What considerations?"
"To begin with, how do I know that the English newspaper would accept these articles as the genuine work of Lady Tarkington?"
"I told you that I had Lady Tarkington's own covering letter to the editor of the Times, asking him to publish the articles as soon as possible."
"Let me see it," Naniescu retorted.
"With pleasure."
Peter took the letter out of his pocket, but before handing it over to Naniescu he said dryly: "May I in the meanwhile refresh my memory of the articles?"
The eyes of the two men met across the table. Naniescu's flashed with resentment, but Peter's face wore a disarming smile. He looked for all the world like a schoolboy bartering marbles for stamps. But the situation appeared to tickle Kervoisin's fancy. He gave a dry chuckle and said:
"You are quite right, mon ami. They are astonishing, these English."
The exchange was effected without Naniescu losing his sense of resentment or Peter his pleasant smile, and Peter held on to Rosemary's manuscript while the general read the letter through.