Jill Mansel stared at him gravely.
"That's very nice of you. Yes, I'd love to dance this. Look. There's Adele. Isn't she lovely? I think she's like a flower. She's going to marry my cousin. She's an American without an accent. You are tall, aren't you? You're all tall here to-night, except me. It makes me feel a dwarf."
"And us, ogres," said Anthony.
Jill laughed delightedly.
"You are nice," she said. "Valerie said you were. Look at Berry dancing with Daphne, and pretending he's bored stiff. When are you coming to White Ladies?"
She prattled on contentedly, asking questions innumerable, but requiring no answers.
Lyveden enjoyed himself.
After they had sat out a little, Valerie came towards them with the man called Jonah.
"Since you won't ask me," she said to Anthony, "I must throw myself at your head." She turned, smiling, to Jill. "Jonah is bored with me, dear, so I'm going to heap coals of fire on his head and restore him to his little sister." She returned to Anthony. "Now, then." Thus addressed, he offered her his arm soberly enough. "There's some supper, I know, downstairs, because I ordered it myself."
They made for the great doors, Anthony tongue-tied, and she hailing others to follow them.