"Oh, don't, don't," Fay cried out suddenly, putting her hands to her head. "I can't bear it! You're driving me out of my mind, Arthur!"
The General stared after her, as she turned and hurried away towards the garden-hall. "More nerves!" he said, with a short laugh, and walked into his study, and shut the door loudly.
It was just as well that he did not know that Miss Fawcett, who had spent the morning "doing the flowers', had already robbed the rose-garden of its choicest blooms. Now, conscious of rectitude, she had joined Stephen Guest on the terrace, and subsided into a deep wicker-chair beside him.
"I call it more than a little sultry," she remarked. "No double entendre meant, I assure you. Does my nose want powdering?"
"It looks all right to me," said Guest, giving it his consideration.
"I mistrust your judgment profoundly," said Dinah. "However, I don't think I can be bothered to go upstairs. Though I have noticed that it's becoming quite the done thing in this house to make your face up in the full view of — Oh, hullo, Mrs. Halliday! How were the puppies?"
"Sweet," said Camilla. "I adored them. Don't say I've butted in on a tete-a-tete! Where's Basil?"
Stephen Guest, who had risen politely, looked vaguely round. "I don't know," he answered. "I think he went into the billiard-room. Shall I go and see?"
"Oh no, don't bother, thanks," said Camilla, seating herself. "We are a small party, aren't we? I always think the Monday after a weekend is frightfully depressing. don't you? I mean everybody leaving, or packing, or something. I suppose it's much too early for a cocktail?"
"It's about twelve," said Dinah, consulting her wristwatch.