He hesitated, and began to look
supremely uncomfortable, twisting the bouquet of carnations round and
round in nervous hands.
"I've been simply expiring all season to hear you sing," Miss Schley
continued.
"How sweet of you!"
"That is so. Mr. Ulford, please bring my flowers."
Leo had no alternative but to obey. He came slowly towards the sofa,
while the tenor and the pianist vanished behind the screen. That he was
sufficiently sensitive to be conscious of the awkwardness of the
situation Miss Schley had pleasantly contrived was very apparent. He
glowered upon Lady Holme, forcing his boyish face to assume a
coarsely-determined and indifferent expression. But somehow the body,
which she knew her husband had thrashed, looked all the time as if it
were being thrashed again.
The voice of the hidden tenor rose in "/Celeste Aida!/" and Lady Holme
listened with an air of definite attention, taking no notice of Leo. The
music gave her a perfect excuse for ignoring him. But Miss Schley did not
intend to be interfered with by anything so easily trampled upon as an
art. Speaking in her most clear and choir-boyish tones, she said to Leo
Ulford:
"Sit down, Mr. Ulford. You fidget me standing."
Then turning again to Lady Holme she continued:
"Mr. Ulford's been so lovely and kind. He came up all the way from
Hertfordshire just to take care of marmar and me to-day. Marmar's fair
and crazy about him.
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