As Patricia entered the morning-room, Bowen came forward.
"Oh, Patricia! why will you persist in being a cold douche? Why this morning I absolutely scandalised Peel by singing at the top of my voice whilst in my bath, and now. Look at me now!"
Patricia looked at him, then she was forced to laugh. He presented such a woebegone appearance.
"But what on earth have I to do with your singing in your bath?" she enquired.
"It was The Morning Post paragraph. I thought everything was going to be all right after last night, and now I'm a door-mat again."
"Who inserted that paragraph?" enquired Patricia.
"I rang up The Morning Post office and they told me that it was handed in by Miss Brent, who is staying at the Mayfair Hotel."
"Aunt Adelaide!" There was a depth of meaning in Patricia's tone as she uttered the two words, then turning to Bowen she enquired, "Did you tell them to contradict it?"
"They asked me whether it were correct," he said, refusing to meet Patricia's eyes.
"What did you say?"