For some moments before Mrs. Mount broke off her conversation I noticed Mr. Bang’s eyes directed towards Iris and Basil. A slight rustle behind me and Mr. Bang jumping to his feet, caused the interruption. Mr. Bang made a bolt towards where his eyes had been directed, and I wheeled round and saw him bending over the form of Iris, while beside him stood Basil, looking on more or less stupidly. Of course, we all rushed to help. Mr. Bang grabbed a tumbler of water and threw it in the face of the unconscious girl. The waiters came crowding round, and some of the other guests.
“I think we had better take her to one of the Reception-rooms,” said Mr. Bang.
“What—Oh, what—is the matter, with her?” cried Mrs. Mount.
“She’s fainted,” answered Mr. Bang, “Don’t you think I had better take her into the Reception-room?”
“Oh, no, no, let her come out of it,” protested Mrs. Mount.
“But it may be a long time before she does,” Mr. Bang objected.
“Perhaps we had,” agreed Basil at last.
So without more ceremony Mr. Bang gathered her in his arms, and, followed by Basil, made his way through a portico into what I believe was a Reception-room.
“Oh my! Oh my! poor Mrs. Carey! What will she say, how can she bear it? And Iris has been talked about quite a lot, too. Do you know really, if it had been Doris here———”
“But Mrs. Mount,” protested Mumsie, “Iris Carey became overcome by the heat and fainted.”