"Miss Gretch writes for papers."
Charmian turned to the angular guest with a certain alacrity. They talked together with animation till Susan Fleet came back.
A week later, on coming down to breakfast before starting for the studio, Claude found among his letters a thin missive, open at the ends, and surrounded with yellow paper. He tore the paper, and three newspaper cuttings dropped on to his plate.
"What's this?" he said to Charmian, who was sitting opposite to him. "Romeike and Curtice! Why should they send me anything?"
He picked up one of the cuttings.
"It's from a paper called My Lady."
"What is it about?"
"It seems to be an account of Mrs. Shiffney's party, with something marked in blue pencil, 'Mrs. Claude Heath came in late with her brilliant husband, whose remarkable musical compositions have not yet attained to the celebrity which will undoubtedly be theirs within no long time. The few who have heard Mr. Heath's music place him with Elgar, Max Reger, and Delius.' Then a description of what you were wearing. How very ridiculous and objectionable!"
Claude looked furious and almost ashamed.
"Here's something else! 'A Composer's Studio,' from The World and His Wife. It really is insufferable."