“Which shows,” said Clementina, pausing so as to make her point and an important brush-stroke—“which shows that you can’t even trust Tommy.”
On another occasion he referred to Vandermeer’s famous interview.
“You know a friend of mine, Vandermeer,” said he.
Clementina shook her head.
“Never heard the name.”
He explained. Vandermeer was a journalist. He had interviewed her and lunched with her at a restaurant.
Clementina could not remember. At last her knitted brow cleared.
“Good lord, do you mean a half-starved, foxy-faced man with his toes through his boots?”
“The portrait is unflattering,” said he, “but I’m afraid there’s a kind of resemblance.”
“He looked so hungry and was so hungry—he told me—that I took him to the ham-and-beef shop round the corner and stuffed his head with copy while he stuffed himself with ham and beef. To say that he lunched with me at a restaurant is infernal impudence.”