With a sigh of resignation, Gloria pointed out the Rookery Tea Room. Mrs. Corday’s eyes appeared to have taken root in the sight of the necklace.
GLORIA WAS VISIBLY EMBARRASSED.
Gloria at Boarding School. [Page 182]
Spellbound was the only word that seemed to describe her condition.
Was it real or imagined?
In either case it provided a respite.
CHAPTER XVI
AT THE ROOKERY TEA ROOM
The tea room was conveniently deserted. Jane smiled gratefully at the plate of doughnuts and the pot of tea, but Mrs. Corday would not be tempted. Gloria could not decide whether the woman was imagining the queer story of a hidden treasure, or whether she might have some reasonable basis for her continued declaration.
“You see, dear,” she kept insisting, “Mr. Corday had a bad man in his troupe.” (The word troupe surprised Gloria.) “And there was a big diamond from India that this Turk, we called him, knew all about. It was while the wagons were passing from one place to another that the Turk tried to get the gem box. Many a time I saw it, but Philip never let it leave his own care.” She sighed and looked off, past the fanciful decorations, hand-made on the walls of the Rookery. Just then, in spite of the artificial blemishes intended for aids, Mrs. Corday looked really attractive. Gloria saw a fading violet tone in the large round eyes, and the features now warped out of their original lines, must have been comely enough a few years earlier. Mrs. Corday had removed the gray gloves and displayed well kept hands—rather too well kept, Gloria reasoned, but as a mounting for so many showy rings, hands would need to be unusual.