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"Do you mean to say that you haven't heard what has happened in Hook Court?" "No; what has happened in Hook Court?" Miss Demolines threw herself back into an arm-chair, closed her eyes, and clasped both her hands upon her forehead. "What has happened in Hook Court?" said Johnny, walking up to her. "I do not think I can bring myself to tell you," she answered.
Perhaps Mrs Dobbs Broughton ought to have known that Mr Crosbie could have gained nothing by his wife's rank, and the barrister may be considered to have been not immoderately severe when he simply spoke of her afterwards as the silliest and most ignorant old woman he had ever met in his life. Eames with the lovely Miss Demolines on his arm was the last to move before the hostess.
On the evening of the next day he was bound by his appointment to go to Porchester Terrace. In the moments of his enthusiasm about Homer he had declared to himself that he would never go near Miss Demolines again. Why should he? All that kind of thing was nothing to him now. He would simply send her his compliments and say that he was prevented by business from keeping his engagement.
I suppose one is bound to say that kind of thing." "Oh, you ill-natured man," said Miss Demolines. "I suppose you think that poor Mr Broughton is a little just a little, you know what I mean." "Not exactly," said Johnny. "Yes, you do; you know very well what I mean. And of course he is. How can he help it?" "Poor fellow no. I don't suppose he can help it, or he would; wouldn't he?"
I regret to say that he had written a mysterious note from Paris to Madalina Demolines, saying that he should be in London on this very night, and that it was just on the cards that he might make his way up to Porchester Terrace before he went to bed. The note was mysterious, because it had neither beginning nor ending. It did not contain even initials.
Had Miss Demolines been christened Mary, or Fanny, or Jane, I think that John Eames would now have called her by either of those names; but Madalina was such a mouthful that he could not bring himself to use it at once. He had heard that among her intimates she was called Maddy.
Now, Mr Eames," and Miss Demolines' voice became tremulously eager as she addressed him, "it is your duty, and it is my duty, to take care that that picture shall never be painted." "But why should it not be painted?" "You don't know Miss Van Siever, yet." "Not in the least." "Nor Mrs Van Siever." "I never spoke a word to her." "I do. I know them both, well."
It's the way of the world just at present that ladies should submit to that sort of thing from gentlemen." "What sort of thing, Miss Demolines?" "Chaff, as you call it. Courtesy is out of fashion, and gallantry has come to signify quite a different kind of thing from what it used to do." "The Sir Charles Grandison business is done and gone. That's what you mean, I suppose?
After this fashion the note from Miss Demolines had been received, and answered at once, but the other letters remained in his pocket till he reached his office on the following morning. Sir Raffle had begged him to be there at half-past nine.
This was said just as Johnny was taking his seat, and he had time to declare that he liked dinner-parties at all periods of the year if the dinner was good and the people pleasant before the host had muttered something which was intended to be understood to be a grace. "But I mean especially the winter," continued Miss Demolines.
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