[_Rising and touching his arm._] Oh, Vincent! [_She looks round, to assure herself that she is unobserved. MRS. UPJOHN and ROPER are seated at the tea-table with their heads together, talking; JIMMIE is at the piano, fingering out a piece of music; JEYES is half hidden in the arm-chair facing the settee at the back. LILY tiptoes to the writing-table and seats herself there as GLADYS reappears showing in the BARON VON RETTENMAYER._ VON RETTENMAYER. [_A tall, fair young man of three-and-thirty, speaking in thick, guttural tones-- advancing to LILY._] Aha, goddess! [_Gladys withdraws._] Many habby returns of the day! LILY. H'sh! I'm busy for a moment, Baron. VON RETTENMAYER. [_To LILY-- shaking hands with BLAND._] A thousand bardons. LILY. Talk to mother and Jimmie. VON RETTENMAYER. With bleasure. [_Going to MRS. UPJOHN and ROPER and shaking hands with them._] How are you, my dear Ma? How are you, Jimmie? [_Waving a hand to ROPER and JEYES._] My dear Rober! My dear Neegolas! JIMMIE. [_To VON RETTENMAYER, mimicking him._] Rober! Neegolas! Why don't they provide you with throat lozenges at the Embassy, Baron? [_VON RETTENMAYER laughs. LILY has quickly opened a drawer in the writing-table and produced a cheque-book. After another glance over her shoulder, she sweeps the presents aside and writes. Then she replaces the cheque-book, rises, and returns to BLAND. Again there is a loud guffaw from VON RETTENMAYER in response to some sally of JIMMIE'S._ LILY. [_To BLAND, folding a cheque and slipping it into his hand._] Promise-- promise you won't make another bet. BLAND. [_Unfolding the cheque._] Your cheque? LILY. [_Hastily._] Put it in your pocket. BLAND. A blank one. LILY. [_In a whisper._] Don't fill it in for more than you can help. _I'm_ not over flush. [_He deliberately tears the cheque into four pieces and, looking at her steadily, puts them into his waistcoat-pocket._ BLAND. [_As he does so._] I'll keep those, Lil, for as long as I keep anything. LILY. [_Hotly._] You fool, Vincent! BLAND. My dear, as if----! LILY. Such ridiculous pride! [_Stamping her foot._] Lord, what I owe to you! [_GLADYS enters with SAM DE CASTRO. GLADYS is carrying a lace-edged table-cloth which, assisted by MRS. UPJOHN, she proceeds to lay upon the tea-table._ BLAND. [_Moving away to join the others-- to DE CASTRO._] Ha, Sam! DE CASTRO. [_A stout, coarse, but genial-looking gentleman of forty, of marked Jewish appearance, speaking with a lisp-- shaking hands with LILY._] How are you to-day, Lil? Many happy returnth, wunth more. LILY. Thanks, dear old boy. [_Sitting on the settee in front of the writing-table._] Did I send you a wire this morning? DE CASTRO. Not you; not a thix-pen'north. LILY. I ought to have done so, to acknowledge your-- what was it? DE CASTRO. A ring-- diamondth and thapphires. LILY. Ah, yes; beautiful. DE CASTRO.