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Magda twisted her slim shoulders irritably when taken to task. "I think I'm tired of being blamed for Kit Raynham's idiocy," she said, a note of resentment in her voice. "No one seems to consider my side of the question! I was merely nice to him in an ordinary sort of way, and there wasn't the least need for him to have chucked up everything and rushed off to the other side of the world like that.
"What is it?" she asked, a note of apprehension sharpening her voice. Magda stared at her dumbly. Then she held out the letter. "Read it," she said flatly. "It's from Kit Raynham's mother." Gillian's eyes flew along the two brief lines of writing: "Kit has disappeared. Do you know where he is? At breakfast, some hours later, Magda was in a curiously petulant and uncertain mood.
Of what had taken place in the winter-garden at Lady Arabella's Gillian was, of course, in ignorance, and she had therefore no idea that the intrusion of Kit Raynham's affairs at this particular juncture was doubly unwelcome. But she could easily see that Magda was shaken out of her customary sang-froid. "Don't worry, Magda."
The words sprang consolingly to her lips, but before she could give them utterance Melrose opened the door and announced that Lady Raynham was in the library. Would Mademoiselle Wielitzska see her? The old man's face wore a look of concern. They had heard all about the disappearance of Lady Raynham's son in the servants' hall the evening papers had had it.
"Orders from headquarters?" smiling up at him. "Exactly." He held out his arm and they moved away together. As they passed through the crowded rooms one man murmured ironically to another: "Quarrington's got it badly, I should say." The second man glanced after the pair with amused eyes. "So he's the latest victim, is he? I head young Raynham's nose was out of joint."
It gave a brief resume of Kit Raynham's short life up to date, referred to the distinguished career which had been predicted for him, and, in mentioning that he was one of the set of brilliant young folks of whom Magda Wielitzska, the well-known dancer, was the acknowledged leader, it conveyed a very slightly veiled hint that he, in particular, was accounted one of her most devoted satellites.
And behind both these that strange, aloof detachment which seemed part of the very fibre of her nature, and which Gillian knew would render it almost impossible for her to admit or even realise that she was in any way responsible for Kit Raynham's fate whatever it might be.
Lady Raynham's final thrust, stabbing at her with its stern denunciation, brought back vividly to Magda Michael Quarrington's bitter speech "I've no place for your kind of woman." Side by side with the recollection came a sudden dart of fear. How would all this stir about Kit Raynham the impending gossip and censure which seemed likely to be accorded her affect him?
And now that the gloom of young Raynham's supposed suicide was lifted from the affair there was a definite aroma of romance about it which was not without its appeal to the younger generation. So that gradually the pendulum swung back and Magda's audiences were once again as big and enthusiastic as ever.
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