“Do you know,” said Ciccio in French to Geoffrey, “what a fine house this is?”
“No,” said Geoffrey, rolling his large eyes round the room, and speaking with his cheek stuffed out with food. “Is it?”
“Ah—if it was hers, you know—”
And so, after tea, Ciccio said to Alvina:
“Shall you let Geoffrey see the house?”
The tour commenced again. Geoffrey, with his thick legs planted apart, gazed round the rooms, and made his comments in French to Ciccio. When they climbed the stairs, he fingered the big, smooth mahogany bannister-rail. In the bedroom he stared almost dismayed at the colossal bed and cupboard. In the bath-room he turned on the old-fashioned, silver taps.
“Here is my room—” said Ciccio in French.
“Assez éloigné!” replied Gigi. Ciccio also glanced along the corridor.
“Yes,” he said. “But an open course—”
“Look, my boy—if you could marry this—” meaning the house.