“I suggest, Miss Norah, what you suggest—absolutely. Entirely in your hands—only too delighted.”
“And you, Mr Purchase, what do you say?”
“I would remind you, Miss Norah, that you accepted Major Tibbet’s invitation to dine at the King’s.”
“Indeed! When you are a little older, Mr Purchase, you will learn that women sometimes change their minds.” He was about ten years older than I was, and had perhaps had ten times as much experience; but those were trifles light as air. “Are you void of ideas, Mr Carter?”
“You must dine at the King’s Restaurant, Miss Norah.”
“Must? You use rather an odd word. Must?”
“Perhaps I had better have said that you will dine at the King’s Restaurant, Miss Norah. Having made an engagement, a lady keeps it.”
After the way in which he—indeed, in which they all—had behaved, the idea of his talking to me like that was good. Taking no notice of him, whatever, I crossed to Mr Hammond.
“You appear to be the most agreeable and obliging person present. Will you give me some dinner at Dupont’s? I never have dined at Dupont’s, but have often thought that I should like to.”
“Too charmed—only too charmed!”