“A little.”
“He is not a friend of yours?”
“No, I cannot say he is.”
“The Gorillian Minister brought him. I have asked Madame Carron to come and superintend some charades. She told me that an acquaintance of hers, Count Rabelais, was a capital actor, and I asked Don Marmosetto Uran y Babon to bring him. Now the Bushman Minister, who hates Don Marmosetto, tells me this Count is very disreputable.”
“Well, it can’t be helped now he’s here. You had better set him at charades.”
Augustus returned for his partner. There she was, twirling in the arms of the Count.
“He has asked her to take a turn, but no. There they are stopping opposite, as though to avoid me. Shall I go and take her away, and kick the Count? No good.”
The waltz was over, and Bromley, with entire self-possession, walked over to Constance.
“You have disappointed me this time, Miss Coxe,” he said, good-naturedly. “Will you dance the next quadrille?”
“Mademoiselle is already engaged to me,” grinned the Count.