"You, probably," Willie snickered, and the others laughed lazily. But Mrs. Neff bristled.
"I don't see why you have to laugh. Am I too old to misbehave?"
"Far from it, darling!" said Willie. "You're just at the dangerous age. I—er—I don't mean exactly that, either."
Mrs. Neff turned a page hastily. "Here's a picture of Deborah Reeve in her coming-out gown."
"She came out so far and so fast she went right back," said Ten Eyck, and explained to Forbes: "Hesitated between her riding-master and her mother's chauffeur, and finally ran off with the first officer of her father's yacht. She was a born democrat."
"Here's a snapshot of Mrs. Tom Corliss at the Meadowbrook Steeplechase. Look, that's 'Pup' Mowat standing with her. Good Lord, he was hanging round her a year ago, and people are just beginning to notice. Haven't they been clever? A whole year under the rose and right under the public's nose."
"Tom Corliss will be finding it out before long," said Winifred.
"Oh no," said Willie, "I've discovered that the husband is always the last to find out." And he tossed his head in careless pride at the novelty of his pronouncement.
"Isn't Willie the observing little thing?" said Winifred. The others exchanged glances of contemptuous amusement while their host looked wise.
Persis strolled round to the divan, took Murray by the ear, and hoisted him from his place.