Yes, yes! Sacrifice! Sacrifice!
Isn't it so?"
He tugged at his large moustache, with an abrupt assumption of the
cavalry officer's manner, which he doubtless deemed to be in accordance
with his momentary muddle-headedness.
"And you give it what it wants most--the touch of the ideal. It blesses
you. Can we get through?"
She had glanced at Robin while she spoke the first words. Ashley Greaves,
with an expression of sudden relief, began very politely to hustle the
crowd, which yielded to his persuasive shoulders, and Lady Holme found
herself within looking distance of the two portraits, and speaking
distance of Mrs. Wolfstein and Miss Schley. She greeted them with a nod
that was more gay and friendly than her usual salutations to women, which
often lacked /bonhomie/. Mrs. Wolfstein's too expressive face lit up.
"The sensation is complete!" she exclaimed loudly.
"Hope you're well," murmured Miss Schley, letting her pale eyes rest on
Lady Holme for about a quarter of a second, and then becoming acutely
attentive to vacancy.
Lady Holme was now in front of the pictures. She looked at Miss Schley's
portrait with apparent interest, while Mrs. Wolfstein looked at her with
an interest that was maliciously real.
"Well?" said Mrs. Wolfstein. "Well?"
"There's an extraordinary resemblance!" said Lady Holme. "It's
wonderfully like."
"Even you see it! Ashley, you ought to be triumphant--"
"Wonderfully like--Miss Schley," added Lady Holme, cutting gently through
Mrs.
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