"
"No," said Peter slowly, "for you were quite right. I have been selfish and
morbid. I see it all quite clearly. I'm going to be very different now,
Cards, old man."
Cards' flat was splendid--everything in it from its grey Ascot trouserings
kind of wall paper to its beautiful old chairs and its beautiful old china
was of the very best--and Cards himself, in a dark blue suit with a black
tie and a while pearl and white spats on his shining gleaming shoes, just
ready to go out and startle Piccadilly was of the very best. He had never,
Peter thought, looked so handsome.
At the door Cards put a hand on Peter's shoulder.
"Get in late this morning, Peter?"
"Why?" said Peter, turning round.
"Oh, nothing," Cards regarded him, smiling. "I'll see you to-night at the
Lesters. Until then, old man--"
Neither Mrs. Rossiter nor Clare made any allusion to the quarrel but it had
nevertheless, Peter felt, made reconciliation all the more difficult. Mrs.
Rossiter now seemed to imply in her additional kindnesses to Cardillac that
she felt for him deeply and was sorry that he, too, should have been made
to suffer under Peter's bear-like nature.
There was even an implied atmosphere of alliance in the attitude of the
three to Peter, an alliance fostered and cemented by Mrs. Rossiter and
spread by her, up and down, in and out about the house.
Pages:
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571