heavens!" she said. "To think that I once thought that it was a quiet backwatery place where I could rest and do nothing but study. But it's a whirl! There's always something wildly exciting going on. Oh, what fools people are not to take an interest in what they call little things. Now go on about Lucia. It's his aunt, isn't it, and mad?"
"Yes, and Peppino's been left her house in Brompton Square," began Georgie.
"No! That's where I've taken a house for the season. What number?"
"Twenty-five," said Georgie.
"Twenty-five?" said Olga. "Why, that's just where the curve begins. And a big —"
"Music-room built out at the back," said Georgie.
"I'm almost exactly opposite. But mine's a small one. Just room for my husband and me, and one spare room. Go on quickly."
"And about three thousand a year and some pearls," said Georgie. "And the house is full of beautiful furniture."
"And will they sell it?"
"Nothing settled," said Georgie.
"That means you think they won't. Do you think that they'll settle altogether in London?"
"No, I don't think that," said Georgie very carefully.
"You are tactful. Lucia has told you all about it, but has also said firmly that nothing's settled. So I won't pump you. And I met Colonel Boucher on my way here. Why only one bulldog?"
"Because the other always growled so frightfully at Mrs Boucher. He gave it away to his brother."
"And Daisy Quantock? Is it still spiritualism?"
"No; that's over, though I rather think it's coming back. After that it was sour milk, and now it's raw vegetables. You'll see tomorrow at dinner. She brings them in a paper bag. Carrots and turnips and celery. Raw. But perhaps she may not. Every now and then she eats like anybody else."
"And Piggie and Goosie?"
"Just the same. But Mrs Antrobus has got a new ear-trumpet. But what I want to know is, why did Lucia send across for my manual on auction bridge? She thinks all card-games imbecile."
"Oh, Georgie, that's easy!" said Olga. "Why, of course, Brompton Square, though nothing's settled. Parties, you know, when she wants people who like to play bridge."
Georgie became deeply thoughtful.
"It might be that," he said. "But it would be tremendously thorough."
"How else can you account for it? By the way, I've had a listening-in put up at Old Place."
"I know. I saw them at it yesterday. But don't turn it on tomorrow night. Lucia hates it. She only heard it once, and that time it was a lecture on pyorrhea. Now tell me about yourself. And shall we go into the drawing-room? Foljambe's getting restless."
Olga allowed herself to be weaned from subjects so much more entrancing to her, and told him of the huge success of the American tour, and spoke of the eight weeks' season which was to begin at Covent Garden in the middle of May. But it all led back to Riseholme.
"I'm singing twice a week," she said. "Brünnhilde and Lucrezia and Salome. Oh, my dear, how I love it! But I shall come down here every single weekend. To go back to Lucia: do you suppose she'll settle in London for the season? I believe that's the idea. Fresh worlds to conquer."
Georgie was silent a moment.
"I think you may be right about the auction bridge," he said at length. "And that would account for Stravinski too."
"What's that?" said Olga greedily.
"Why, she played me a bit of Stravinski yesterday morning," said Georgie. "And before she never would listen to anything modern. It all fits in."
"Perfect," said Olga.
* * *
Georgie and the Quantocks walked up together the next evening to dine with Olga, and Daisy was carrying a little paper parcel. But that proved to be a disappointment, for it did not contain carrots, but only evening shoes. Lucia and Peppino, as usual, were a little late, for it was Lucia's habit to arrive last at any party, as befitted the Queen of Riseholme, and to make her gracious round of the guests. Everyone of course was wondering if she would wear the pearls, but again there was a disappointment, for her only ornaments were two black bangles, and the brooch of entwined sausages of gold containing a lock of Beethoven's hair. (As a matter of fact Beethoven's hair had fallen out some years ago, and she had replaced it with a lock of Peppino's which was the same colour . . . Peppino had never told anybody.) From the first it was evident that though the habiliments of woe still decked her, she had cast off the numb misery of the bereavement.
"So kind of you to invite us," she said to Olga, "and so good," she added in a whisper, "for my poor Peppino. I've been telling him he must face the world again and not mope. Daisy, dear! Sweet to see you, and Mr Robert. Georgie! Well, I do think this is a delicious little party."
Peppino followed her: it was just like the arrival of Royal Personages, and Olga had to stiffen her knees so as not to curtsey.
Having greeted those who had the honour to meet her, Lucia became affable rather than gracious. Robert Quantock was between her and Olga at dinner, but then at dinner, everybody left Robert alone, for if disturbed over that function, he was apt to behave rather like a dog with a bone and growl. But if left alone, he was in an extremely good temper afterwards.
"And you're only here just for two days, Miss Olga," she said, "at least so Georgie tells me, and he usually knows your movements. And then London, I suppose, and you'll be busy rehearsing for the opera. I must certainly manage to be in London for a week or two this year, and come to Siegried, and the Valkyrie, in which, so I see in the papers, you're singing. Georgie, you must take me up to London when the opera comes on. Or perhaps —"
She paused a moment.
"Peppino, shall I tell all our dear friends our little secret?" she said. "If you say 'no,' I shan't. But, please, Peppino —"
Peppino, however, had been instructed to say 'yes,' and accordingly did so.
"You see, dear Miss Olga," said Lucia, "that a little property has come to us through that grievous tragedy last week. A house has been left to Peppino in Brompton Square, all furnished, and with a beautiful music-room. So we're thinking, as there is no immediate hurry about selling it, of spending a few weeks there this season, very quietly of course, but still perhaps entertaining a few friends. Then we shall have time to look about us, and as the house is there, why not use it in the interval? We shall go there at the end of the month."
This little speech had been carefully prepared, for Lucia felt that if she announced the full extent of their plan, Riseholme would suffer a terrible blow. It must be broken to Riseholme by degrees: Riseholme must first be told that they were to be up in town for a week or two, pending the sale of the house. Subsequently Riseholme would hear that they were not going to sell the house.
She looked round to see how this section of Riseholme took it. A chorus of the emphatic 'No' burst from Georgie, Mrs Quantock and Olga, who, of course, had fully discussed this disclosure already; even Robert, very busy with his dinner, said 'No' and went on gobbling.
"So sweet of you all to say 'No,' " said Lucia, who know perfectly well that the emphatic interjection meant only surprise, and the desire to hear more, not the denial that such a thing was possible, "but there it is. Peppino and I have talked it over — non e vero, carissimo — and we feel that there is a sort of call to us to go to London. Dearest Aunt Amy, you know, and all her beautiful furniture! She never would have a stick of it sold, and that seems to point to the fact that she expected Peppino and me not to wholly desert the dear old family home. Aunt Amy was born there, eighty-three years ago."
"My dear! How it takes one back!" said Georgie.
"Doesn't it?" said Olga.
Lucia had now, so to speak, developed her full horsepower. Peppino's presence stoked her, Robert was stoking himself and might