"Well, in the matter of puddings, she does—rather," says Dulce, somewhat fearfully.
"Ah! In point of fact, she doesn't suit you," says Miss Gaunt, fixing Dulce with a stony glare.
"There you are wrong," puts in Mr. Browne, regardless of the fact that she has treated all his other overtures with open contempt, "that is exactly what she does. Don't take a false impression of the case. She suets us tremendously! Doesn't she, Dulce?"
Here Miss Blount, I regret to say, laughs out loud, so does Sir Mark, to everybody's horror. Mr. Browne alone maintains a dignified silence. What Miss Gaunt might or might not have said on this occasion must now forever remain unknown, as Sir Christopher enters at this moment, and shortly after him Mr. Boer.
"Was Florence unable to come? I hope she is quite well," says Dulce, with conventional concern.
"Quite, thank you. But she feared the air."
"The heir?" says Julia Beaufort, inquiringly, turning to Dicky, who is now unhappily quite close to her. Julia, who never listens to anything, has just mastered the fact that Florence Boer is under discussion, and has heard the word "air" mentioned in connection with her.
"Yes. Didn't you hear of it?" says Dicky Browne, confidentially.
"No," says Julia, also, confidentially.
"Why, it is common talk now," says Dicky, as if surprised at her ignorance on a subject so well known to the rest of the community.