Madame Sennier stared.
"But," added Charmian, "people who really know think a great deal of my husband; Mr. Crayford, for instance."
Directly she had said this she repented of it. She realized that Claude would have hated the remark had he heard it.
Madame Sennier seemed unimpressed, and at that moment the others came in from the garden. But Charmian, why she did not know, felt increasing regret for her inadvertence. She even wished that Madame Sennier had shown some emotion, surprise, even contemptuous incredulity. The complete blankness of the Frenchwoman at that moment made Charmian uneasy.
When they were all going Mrs. Shiffney insisted on Charmian and Susan Fleet dining at the Hôtel St. George that evening. Charmian wanted to refuse and wished to go. Of course she accepted. She and Susan had no engagement to plead.
Jacques Sennier clasped her hands on parting and gazed fervently into her eyes.
"'OF COURSE WE WIVES OF COMPOSERS
ARE APT TO BE PREJUDICED'"—[Page 242]