“You have no right to say that,” she said. “I have followed in every trick. Have I not, Helen?”
Helen laughed.
“No, my dear, of course you have revoked,” she said. “Are we not lucky to have escaped the penalty by dummy pointing it out? That sort of luck never happens to me.”
“Everyone is against me,” said Aline.
“Ach, do not be a child, Aline,” said her husband. “Go on: we are all waiting for another revoke, which I shall leave to Mr. Boyton to discover.”
At once all Aline’s pleasure was spoiled. She knew perfectly well that she had revoked, and all the delight of having two people to look at her beautiful play, and two opponents to writhe under it, was instantly gone. She gathered up the cards at the end of the deal, and looked at her next hand, which she dealed herself in dead silence. She felt that she, at any rate, knew how to behave like a lady. Luckily Helen, on this occasion, knew how to behave like a lady too, and put down a magnificent hand in response to her own unchallenged spade.
About half way through Mrs. Tempest got up.
“I think my husband and I ought to be going,” she said.
Aline turned a convalescent face to her, and held out her left hand, without getting up.
“Good-night, then, Mrs. Tempest,” she said. “So pleased you were able to come. Good-night, Mr. Tempest. You are shooting with my husband to-morrow, aren’t you? Let us see, where were we? Good-night. Let me see the last trick, Hermann.”