An Excellent Beginning

As soon as it was over "the real Mr Elgood" darted upstairs to his own
room, the remaining gentlemen strolled out of doors to smoke their
pipes, and Mrs Macalister escorted Margot to the best parlour across
the landing.

It was a chill, yet fusty little apartment, the shrine of the
accumulated treasures of Mrs McNab's lifetime. Time was when she had
been cook to a family in Edinburgh, before McNab won her reluctant
consent to matrimony. Photographs of different members of "The Family"
were displayed in plush frames on the mantelpiece, table, and piano-top.
Mr Moncrieff in Sheriff's attire, "The Mistress" in black satin;
Master Percy in cap and gown, Miss Isabel reclining in a hammock, Master
Bunting and Miss Poppet in various stages of development. There was
also a framed picture of "The House"; a tambourine painted with purple
iris by Miss Isabel's own hands; an old bannerette in cross-stitch
pendent from the mantelpiece, a collection of paper mats, shaded from
orange to white, the glass-covered vase of wax flowers which had
attracted Ron's notice, one or two cheap china vases, a pot of musk
placed diametrically in the centre of a wicker table, a sofa, and two
"occasional chairs" gorgeously upholstered in red satin and green plush.

Mrs Macalister seated herself in the larger of the chairs, Margot took
possession of the smaller, and heroically stifled a yawn. Another
evening she would wrap herself in her golf cape and go out into the
clear cool evening air; but now at last fatigue overpowered her; fatigue
and a little chill of disappointment and doubt. How would it be
possible to become intimate with a man who sat at the opposite end of
the table, shut himself in his own room, and was apparently oblivious of
his surroundings? With characteristic recklessness Margot had put on
her very prettiest blouse, hoping to make a good impression on this
first evening, but for all the attention it had received it might as
well have been black delaine! She sighed and yawned again, whereupon
Mrs Macalister manifested a kindly concern.