"When will you-all come?"
"Oh, it would be right smart of a job to get us-all together at the same time."
He smiled at her burlesque, but persisted:
"How would you like to—to give the party and order the fodder? I'm just back from the Philippines, you know. I could get up a mess for my company, but I'm afraid I couldn't feed you people to your liking."
"Oh, nobody eats anything any more, or drinks much of anything."
"All the more reason for having what you do have right. Won't you order it for me, and tell me where to have it?"
She was tempted to seize the chance. It was a delight to her to compose a meal. It was a kind of millinery or dressmaking in its art of arrangement. She checked herself on the brink of acceptance, realizing that it would set people to talking if she conducted Forbes' entertainments for him. Even Willie, who was neither very observing nor very jealous, would raise a row at that.
"I'll tell you," she said. "Ask Mrs. Neff to be the hostess. You're under some obligations to her, and none to me."
"May I ask her to order the luncheon, too?" said Forbes, with dwindled enthusiasm.
"Oh no; you must do that!"