uctions
conveyed by Barbara's parting glance downstairs, I had dragged a softly
swearing Jaffery, she marched up to him and said serenely:

"If you really do want me to dine with you, I'll come with pleasure. But
the next time you ask me, please do it in a decent way."

I saw mischief lurking in my wife's eye and shook my head at her
rebukingly. But Jaffery stared at Liosha and gasped. It was all very
well for Doria and Barbara to be ever putting him in the wrong: they
were daughters of a subtle civilisation; but here was Liosha, who had
once asked him to beat her, doing the same--woman was a more curious
phenomenon than ever.

"I'm sorry if my manners are not as they should be," said he with a
touch of irony. "I'll try to mend 'em. Anyhow, it's awfully good of you
to come."

She smiled and bowed; not the deep bow of Albania, but the delicate
little inclination of South Kensington. The quarrel was healed, the
incident closed. He arranged to call for her in a taxi at a quarter to
seven. Barbara looked at the clock and said that we must be going. We
rose to take our leave. Maliciously I said:

"But we've settled nothing about a remplacante for Mrs. Considine."

"I guess we've settled everything," Liosha replied sweetly. "No one can
replace Mrs. Considine."

I quite enjoyed our little silent walk downstairs. Evidently Jaffery's
theory of primitive woman had been knocked endways; and, to judge by the
faint knitting of her brow, Barbara was uneasily conscious of a mission
unfulfilled. Liosha had gained her independence.

* * * * *

Our friends carried out the evening's programme. Liosha behaved with
extreme propriety, modelling her outward demeanour upon that of Mrs.
Considine, and her attitude towards Jaffery on a literal interpretation
of Barbara's reprehensible precepts. She was so dignified that Jaffery,
lest he should offend, was afraid to open his mouth except for the
purpose of shovelling in food, which he did, in astounding quantity.
From what both of us gathered afterwards--and gleefully we compared
notes--they were vastly polite to each other. He might have been
entertaining the decorous wife of a Dutch Colonial Governor from whom he
desired facilities of travel. The simple Eve travestied in guile took
him in completely. Aware that it was her duty to treat him like an
overgrown baby and mould him to her fancy and twist him round her finger
and lead him whithersoever she wil