"No, thanks; I leave smoking to women who bait their hooks with agreeable vices;" and she moved towards Lady Canvey.
It was horribly rude, and Mrs. Penworthy choked back an hysterical scream.
"Delightful woman, Lady James," said Miss Jaffray.
"Delightful," assented the other, who at the moment would gladly have mounted the scaffold on a charge of murdering her insolent rival. "I call her perfectly lovely. Such a perfect complexion, and exquisite figure, and heavenly eyes, and large hands."
But this piece of spite was wasted, as by this time Lady Jim was seated by her godmother, assuring that sceptical lady how absolutely delighted she was to learn that dear Jim had arranged matters with the dear Duke. "And so sweet of the Duke to tell you," she went on. "I know how anxious you have been about me.
"Can you wonder at it, my dear, when you are so sweet and gentle and womanly?" said Lady Canvey, who was quite equal to a war of words.
"You must be thinking of Hilda Frith," replied Lady Jim, calmly. "I cannot call myself such an angel."
"No; you left that to the sailor-boy you were flirting with."
"Poor boy, he doesn't know how to flirt."
"You'll teach him, my dear," chuckled the old lady.