“No,” said Alvina. “Let me pay everything for myself, for a month. I should like to be with you, awfully—”
She looked across with a look half mischievous, half beseeching at the erect Max. He bowed as he sat at table.
“I think we shall all be honoured,” he said.
“Certainly,” said Louis, bowing also over his tea-cup.
Geoffrey inclined his head, and Ciccio lowered his eyelashes in indication of agreement.
“Now then,” said Madame briskly, “we are all agreed. Tonight we will have a bottle of wine on it. Yes, gentlemen? What d’you say? Chianti—hein?”
They all bowed above the table.
“And Miss Houghton shall have her professional name, eh? Because we cannot say Miss Houghton—what?”
“Do call me Alvina,” said Alvina.
“Alvina—Al-vy-na! No, excuse me, my dear, I don’t like it. I don’t like this ‘vy’ sound. Tonight we shall find a name.”