All Orientals have a wonderful, artistic instinct for fabrics and colours, and always, when left alone, clothe themselves with exquisite taste. But this instinct seems to desert them when brought amongst European manufactures and into the sphere of European tints. Suzee now chose an enormous white hat wreathed round with poppies and cornflowers that I certainly should not have chosen for her. However, it pleased and satisfied her, and she was in great good-humour in consequence.
I found some letters for me at the hotel, forwarded from the club. My heart sank as I saw there was none from Viola. I thought she might have written again….
There was one from a friend of mine who was attached to the embassy here, and he asked me to go and dine with him that evening, or name some other, if I were engaged that day.
I looked up at Suzee.
"I have an invitation here to go out to dinner," I said to her; "do you think you can amuse yourself without me this evening?"
Suzee looked sulky.
"You are going out all the evening without me? Can't I come too?"
"I am afraid not," I answered.
"Why? Is it a woman you are going to?"
"No, it is not," I answered a little sharply.