“There doesn’t seem to be any of you missing,” murmured Mrs. Long.
“Oh, how do you do?” she bowed, as Sir Eric and Lady Denby crowded in.
Commonplaces were exchanged.
“I haven’t seen you for some time,” observed Lady Denby, leaning across the Hudsons.
“I’ve been keeping very quiet,” returned Mrs. Long. “In fact, I’m going into the hospital to-morrow for rather a beastly operation.”
Vague expressions of sympathy were dropped into the subdued noise about them. “I’m so sorry . . . No, you don’t look well . . . Oh, there’s Mrs. . . . I hope it’s nothing serious . . . What has Eva Leeds got on?”
“That’s the dress Haywood made for Lady Elton and she wouldn’t accept,” volunteered Mrs. Hudson. “They say he gave it to her. . . .”
Lady Denby interrupted. “What hospital have you chosen?” she asked, making a mental note of the fact that the event called for floral recognition.
“St. Christopher’s.”
“Oh, how perfect!” breathed Mrs. Hudson, indifferently. “You’ll love it, there. The nurses are so good to your flowers!”