“Tush” twittered her friend “Mr. Panter leaves ladys to look after their own reputations, dont you sir?” and this remark drew a laugh from a priestly looking damsel with [134] ]many ropes of pearls about her elegant long neck, lolling in a deckchair near their feet, so Selia was now introduced to her and as well as she could grasp this lady did nothing but be an earl’s sister because of course if you are nobel that is enough and saves many pains.
“I hear” said the earls sister who was most languid and archy in her way of speaking and holding herself, “that Mr. Bross is learning Welsh.”
“Dear me” said Selia “now he will be able to come again for another week-end more.”
“Certenly not” said the Countess proudly, “this is not a political house-boat, we are artists and I do not think we could bear Welsh after breakfast even on Sundays. I must speak to him and try to urge him to learn something else.”
So she got up and went off to do so.
Meanwhile Mr. Withersq had rather sidled away towards a nice little girl in a cream frock [135] ]very low and fluffy, and had talked to her and she had opened wide great eyes of amaze to him to hear so great a poet speak ordinary. He was now muttering something with many muffled laughs to a very tall oldish man in a suit of pearl grey silk, and munching a fish sandwich which from time to time he dipped in a glass of champagne he had had brought him by a menial attired as a sailor.
From the chair in which she had sunk Selia pawed at her Harold’s near trouser. So he passed her down some food which she wolfed up. Then as she was tired and could not make out much of the various persons around who were all smoking long cigarettes and by their talk seemed to have endless little private jokes of their own, she went off to bed, which was down some steep brass-tipped stairs with a rope bannister, into the bowels of the boat. Imagine her surprise when she [136] ]opened her room door to find Scrogg knitting a sock within.
“Goodday” cried Scrogg springing up and ready to unfasten her, and “Goodevening” said Selia stifling her yawn with a smile “how did ever you come here Scrogg?”
“I thought you would like me” said Scrogg humbly, “so I came up the river in a little row-boat I keep for emergencies.”
“I see” said Selia “that was very nice of you I’m sure. I am very tired though.”