It was almost a relief when her mother entered rustling elaborately across the room, and snapping a bracelet on to her comely wrist.
"Ah! Eva, you are before me. Percy has come. I didn't expect him till to-morrow."
"I'm glad," said Eva listlessly.
"Such a lovely evening," continued Mrs. Grampound with a strong determination to be particularly neutral, and entirely unconscious of her talk with Eva before dinner. "Look at those exquisite tints, dear. The blue so tender as to be green," she quoted with a fine disregard of accuracy.
"Yes, it's beautiful," said Eva, not turning her head. "Ah! Percy, it's good to see you."
Eva got up and walked across to meet the newcomer. Percy was a favourite of hers, from the time he had teased her about her dolls onward.
"How long are you going to stop?" she continued. "Percy, stop here a long time; I want you."
"I can't," he said. "I'm going off to Scotland on the 12th, to the Davenports. I promised Reggie."
"Who's Reggie?"
"Reggie? Reggie Davenport. He's a friend of mine. I'm very fond of him. Haven't you ever seen him. He falls in love about once a fortnight. He's very amusing."