FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
n to see me, you wicked woman? I'm sure your eyes are in a deplorable condition.' 'Do you think I would let a bold, bad man like you stare into them with an ophthalmoscope?' laughed Susie. 'Now look here, I want you both to do me a great favour. I'm giving a supper party at the Savoy, and two of my people have suddenly failed me. The table is ordered for eight, and you must come and take their places.' 'I'm afraid I must get home,' said Arthur. 'I have a deuce of a lot of work to do.' 'Nonsense,' answered Arbuthnot. 'You work much too hard, and a little relaxation will do you good.' He turned to Susie: 'I know you like curiosities in human nature; I'm having a man and his wife who will positively thrill you, they're so queer, and a lovely actress, and an awfully jolly American girl.' 'I should love to come,' said Susie, with an appealing look at Arthur, 'if only to show you how much more amusing I am than lovely actresses.' Arthur, forcing himself to smile, accepted the invitation. The specialist patted him cheerily on the back, and they agreed to meet at the Savoy. 'It's awfully good of you to come,' said Susie, as they drove along. 'Do you know, I've never been there in my life, and I'm palpitating with excitement.' 'What a selfish brute I was to refuse!' he answered. When Susie came out of the dressing-room, she found Arthur waiting for her. She was in the best of spirits. 'Now you must say you like my frock. I've seen six women turn green with envy at the sight of it. They think I must be French, and they're sure I'm not respectable.' 'That is evidently a great compliment,' he smiled. At that moment Arbuthnot came up to them in his eager way and seized their arms. 'Come along. We're waiting for you. I'll just introduce you all round, and then we'll go in to supper.' They walked down the steps into the foyer, and he led them to a group of people. They found themselves face to face with Oliver Haddo and Margaret. 'Mr Arthur Burdon--Mrs Haddo. Mr Burdon is a colleague of mine at St Luke's; and he will cut out your appendix in a shorter time than any man alive.' Arbuthnot rattled on. He did not notice that Arthur had grown ghastly pale and that Margaret was blank with consternation. Haddo, his heavy face wreathed with smiles, stepped forward heartily. He seemed thoroughly to enjoy the situation. 'Mr Burdon is an old friend of ours,' he said. 'In fact, it was he who introduced me t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Arthur

 

Burdon

 

Arbuthnot

 

lovely

 

answered

 

Margaret

 

waiting

 

people

 
supper
 

compliment


smiled
 

evidently

 

smiles

 
respectable
 

consternation

 
seized
 
moment
 

French

 

introduced

 

spirits


ghastly

 

rattled

 
colleague
 

forward

 
situation
 

notice

 

appendix

 

shorter

 
heartily
 

stepped


introduce

 

walked

 

friend

 

Oliver

 

wreathed

 

invitation

 

afraid

 

places

 
failed
 
ordered

Nonsense

 

curiosities

 

nature

 

turned

 

relaxation

 

suddenly

 

deplorable

 

condition

 

wicked

 

favour