nd why he had such a
wonderful waistcoat, such a superlative tie, such an amazing shirt and
such a frightfully expensive pin. But it was not the first time in her
life that she had met an otherwise intelligent man who made the mistake
of over-dressing, and her first prejudice against him began to
disappear. She even admitted to herself that he had a certain charm of
manner which she liked, a mingling of reserve and frankness, or repose
and strength, the qualities which appeal so strongly to most women. If
only his voice had not that disagreeable oiliness! After all, that was
what she liked least. He spoke French with wonderful fluency, but he
abstained from making the tiresome compliments which so many Frenchmen
reel off even at first acquaintance. He had really beautiful
almond-shaped eyes, but he never once turned them to her with that
languishing look which young men with almond eyes seem to think quite
irresistible. Surely, all this was in his favour.

After being gone about half an hour, Madame Bonanni came back, her
Juno-like figure clad in a very pale green tea-gown, very open at the
throat, and her thick hair was smoothed in great curved surfaces which
were certainly supported by cushions underneath them. Her solid arms
were bare to the elbows, and the green sleeves hung almost to her feet.
Her face was rouged and there were artificial shadows under her eyes.
Round her neck she wore a single string of pearls as big as olives, and
her fingers were covered with all sorts of rings.

'Now you may look at me,' she said, with a gay laugh.

'I see a star of the first magnitude,' Logotheti answered gravely.

Margaret bit her lip to keep from laughing, but Madame Bonanni laughed
herself, very good-naturedly, though she understood.

'I detest this man!' she cried, turning to Margaret. 'I don't know why
I ask him to breakfast.'

'Because you cannot live without me, I suppose,' suggested Logotheti.

'I hate Greeks!' screamed the prima donna, still laughing. 'Why are you
a Greek?'

'Doubtless by a mistake of my father's, dear lady; quite unpardonable
since you are displeased! If he had lived, he certainly would have
rectified it to please you, but the Turks killed him when I was a baby
in arms; and that was before you were born.'

'Of course it was,' answered Madame Bonanni, who must have been just
about to be married at that time. 'But that is no reason why we should
stand here starving to death while you chatter.