guesser. What she will
be at thirty, if she don't go off! That little Greek head, and all those
waves of rusty-coloured hair. Quite wonderful! And her hands and feet and
skin--marvellous! And that small-boned slenderness of build that is so
perfectly enchanting. Paquin would delight to dress her. And"--her
jangling laugh rang out, waking echoes from hollow places--"it looks--do
you know?--it looks as though he would get the chance."

"Why does it?" demanded Saxham, turning his square face full upon Lady
Hannah, and lowering his heavy brows.

"Mercy upon us, Doctor, do you want me to be definite and literal? Can't
you do as I do, and use your eyes?" Her own round, sparkling black ones
were full of provocation. "They look as if they could see rather farther
into a mud wall than most people's. Please get me one of those peaches.
No, I won't have a plate. I am beginning to find out that most of the
things Society regards as indispensable can be done without. I'm beginning
to revert to Primitive Simplicity. Isn't there a prehistoric _flair_ about
most of us? If there isn't, there ought to be. For what are we from
week-end to week-end but grimy male and female Troglodytes, eating minced
horse and fried locusts in underground burrows by the light of paraffin
lamps! Another peach.... Thanks. Can't you see those dear things, the
Sisters, gathering them by lantern-light, and being shelled by Brounckers'
German gunners. Wretches! Beasts! Horrors!"

"I hope," said Saxham, with rather heavy irony, "that you acquainted them
with your opinion of them while you had the opportunity?"

She gaily flipped him with the loose tan gloves she had drawn off. Her
bangles clashed, and her eyes snapped sparks under the brim of her hat,
whose feathers nodded and swished, and her jangling laugh brought more
echoes from the high banks.

"Ha, ha, ha! Do you know, Doctor, I call that thoroughly nasty--to remind
me, on such a fine day too, of the Frightful Fiasco. When my own husband
hasn't ventured to breathe a hint even.... Do you know, when he rode out
to meet me with the Escort, all he said was, 'Hullo, old lady; is that
you? The Chief wants to know if you'll peck with us at six, and I told him
I thought you'd be agreeable.' And when we met, _he_---- Why do
handkerchiefs invariably hide when people want to sneeze behind them?" She
found the ridiculous little square of filmy embroidered cambric, and blew
her thin little nose, and furtively whiske