The Green One
Doesn’t all the make-up hurt the complexion?
Patricia
(Sweetly)
I always use cold cream first—don’t you?
(An abrupt halt in the laughter comes as Miss Eva Stannard enters and pauses momentarily in the doorway.
Miss Stannard is about twenty-nine, tall, vibrant and almost imperious in bearing. Her forehead is high, her eyes keen and her mouth thin and tense. She is gowned in gray.
Patricia is immediately interested in her and in the constrained attitude of the others.
Miss Stannard slowly comes to Mrs. Frowde, bowing graciously, as she passes, to the others, who return it with sickly smiles, exchanging secret looks of surprise and indignation. Mrs. Frowde in her obvious embarrassment, instead of offering her hand, proffers the tea-cup, which Miss Stannard smilingly declines. The Blue One, with rare presence of mind, coughs, and the others all laugh nervously, as though to cover the silence which has ensued.
Patricia slowly sits again, with Silverton standing by her chair, intensely interested and curious.)