Georgie remained behind to ring up Daisy, to explain when Lucia telephoned next that Olga had gone out, and to pay his visit to The Hurst. To pretend that he did not enjoy that, would be to misunderstand him altogether. Lucia had come down here with her smart party and had taken no notice of Riseholme, and now two people a million times smarter had by a clearly providential dealing come down at the same time and were taking no notice of her. Instead they were hobnobbing with people like himself and Daisy whom Lucia had slighted. Then she had laughed at the Museum, and especially at the catalogue and the mittens, and now the great-niece of the owner of the mittens had gone to see them. That was a stinger, in fact it was all a stinger, and well Lucia deserved it. He was shown into the music-room, and he had just time to observe that there was a printed envelope on the writing-table addressed to the _Evening Gazette_, when Lucia and Mr. Merriall came hurrying in. “Georgino mio,” said Lucia effusively. “How nice of you to come in. But you’ve not brought your ladies? Oh, this is Mr. Merriall.” (Hermione, of the _Evening Gazette_, it’s proved, thought Georgie.) “They thought they wouldn’t add to your big party,” said Georgie sumptuously. (That was another stinger.) “And was it Princess Isabel I saw at your door?” asked Mr. Merriall with an involuntary glance at the writing-table. (Lucia had not mentioned her since.) “Oh yes. They just motored down and took potluck with me.” “What did you give them?” asked Lucia, forgetting her anxieties for a moment. “Oh, just cold lamb and apple tart,” said Georgie. “No!” said Lucia. “You ought to have brought them to lunch here. O Georgie, my picture, look. By Sigismund.” “Oh yes,” said Georgie. “What’s it of?” “_Cattivo!_” said Lucia. “Why, it’s a portrait of me. Sigismund, you know, he’s the greatest rage in London just now. Everybody is crazy to be painted by him.” “And they look crazy when they are. It’s a mad world, my masters,” said Mr. Merriall. “Naughty,” said Lucia. “Is it not wonderful, Georgie?” “Yes. I expect it’s very clever,” said Georgie. “Very clever indeed.” “I should so like to show it dearest Olga,” said Lucia, “and I’m sure the Princess would be interested in it. She was talking about modern art the other day when I dined with Olga. I wonder if they would look in at tea-time, or indeed any other time.” “Not very likely, I’m afraid,” said Georgie, “for Daisy Quantock’s coming to tea, I know. We’re going to weedj. And they’re going out for a drive sometime.” “And where are they now?” asked Lucia. It was terrible to have to get news of her intimate friends from Georgie, but how else was she to find out? “They went across to see the Museum,” said he. “They were most interested in it.” Mr. Merriall waved his hands, just in the same way as Georgie did.