“His money helped to avert, I always contend, the noisy misery of a War!”

“He’s open-handed?”

“Ah ... as you would find....”

The duchess considered: “I might,” she said, “get you cards for a State concert....”

“A State concert, duchess? That’s no good to me!”

“A drawing-room you know is a very dull affair.”

“I will liven it!”

“Or an invitation perhaps to begin with to one of the Embassies—the English for instance might lead....”

“Nowhere...! You can’t depend on that: people have asked me to lunch, and left me to pay for them...! There is so much trickery in Society....” Madame Wetme laughed.

The duchess smiled quizzically: “I forget if you know the Tolgas,” she said.