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doings； Comus had always flung away a portion of his borrowings in
some ostentatious piece of glaring and utterly profitless
extravagance； which outraged all the canons of her upbringing
without bringing him an atom of understandable satisfaction。 Under
these repeated discouragements it was not surprising that some
small part of her affection should have slipped away； but she had
come to the Park that morning with an unconfessed expectation of
being gently wooed back to the mood of gracious forgetfulness that
she was only too eager to assume。 It was almost worth while being
angry with Comus for the sake of experiencing the pleasure of being
coaxed into friendliness again with the charm which he knew so well
how to exert。 It was delicious here under the trees on this
perfect June morning； and Elaine had the blessed assurance that
most of the women within range were envying her the companionship
of the handsome merry…hearted youth who sat by her side。 With
special complacence she contemplated her cousin Suzette； who was
self…consciously but not very elatedly basking in the attentions of
her fiance； an earnest…looking young man who was superintendent of
a People's something…or…other on the south side of the river； and
whose clothes Comus had described as having been made in Southwark
rather than in anger。
Most of the pleasures in life must be paid for； and the chair…
ticket vendor in due time made his appearance in quest of pennies。
Comus paid him from out of a varied assortment of coins and then
balanced the remainder in the palm of his hand。 Elaine felt a
sudden foreknowledge of something disagreeable about to happen and
a red spot deepened in her cheeks。
〃Four shillings and fivepence and a half…penny；〃 said Comus；
reflectively。 〃It's a ridiculous sum to last me for the next three
days； and I owe a card debt of over two pounds。〃
〃Yes？〃 commented Elaine dryly and with an apparent lack of interest
in his exchequer statement。 Surely； she was thinking hurriedly to
herself； he could not be foolish enough to broach the matter of
another loan。
〃The card debt is rather a nuisance；〃 pursued Comus； with
fatalistic persistency。
〃You won seven pounds last week； didn't you？〃 asked Elaine； 〃don't
you put by any of your winnings to balance losses？〃
〃The four shillings and the fivepence and the halfpenny represent
the rearguard of the seven pounds；〃 said Comus； 〃the rest have
fallen by the way。 If I can pay the two pounds to…day I daresay I
shall win something more to go on with； I'm holding rather good
cards just now。 But if I can't pay it of course I shan't show up
at the club。 So you see the fix I am in。〃
Elaine took no notice of this indirect application。 The Appeal
Court was assembling in haste to consider new evidence； and this
time there was the rapidity of sudden determination about its
movement。
The conversation strayed away from the fateful topic for a few
moments and then Comus brought it deliberately back to the danger
zone。
〃It would be awfully nice if you would let me have a fiver for a
few days； Elaine；〃 he said quickly； 〃if you don't I really don't
know what I shall do。〃
〃If you are really bothered about your card debt I will send you
the two pounds by messenger boy early this afternoon。〃 She spoke
quietly and with great decision。 〃And I shall not be at the
Connor's dance to…night；〃 she continued； 〃it's too hot for dancing。
I'm going home now； please don't bother to accompany me； I
particularly wish to go alone。〃
Comus saw that he had overstepped the mark of her good nature。
Wisely he made no immediate attempt to force himself back into her
good graces。 He would wait till her indignation had cooled。
His tactics would have been excellent if he had not forgotten that
unbeaten army on his flank。
Elaine de Frey had known very clearly what qualities she had wanted
in Comus； and she had known； against all efforts at self…deception；
that he fell far short of those qualities。 She had been willing to
lower her standard of moral requirements in proportion as she was
fond of the boy； but there was a point beyond which she would not
go。 He had hurt her pride besides alarming her sense of caution。
Suzette； on whom she felt a thoroughly justified tendency to look
down； had at any rate an attentive and considerate lover。 Elaine
walked towards the Park gates feeling that in one essential Suzette
possessed something that had been denied to her； and at the gates
she met Joyeuse and his spruce young rider preparing to turn
homeward。
〃Get rid of Joyeuse and come and take me out to lunch somewhere；〃
demanded Elaine。
〃How jolly；〃 said Youghal。 〃Let's go to the Corridor Restaurant。
The head waiter there is an old Viennese friend of mine and looks
after me beautifully。 I've never been there with a lady before；
and he's sure to ask me afterwards； in his fatherly way； if we're
engaged。〃
The lunch was a success in every way。 There was just enough
orchestral effort to immerse the conversation without drowning it；
and Youghal was an attentive and inspired host。 Through an open
doorway Elaine could see the cafe reading…room； with its imposing
array of NEUE FREIE PRESSE； BERLINER TAGEBLATT； and other exotic
newspapers hanging on the wall。 She looked across at the young man
seated opposite her； who gave one the impression of having centred
the most serious efforts of his brain on his toilet and his food；
and recalled some of the flattering remarks that the press had
bestowed on his recent speeches。
〃Doesn't it make you conceited； Courtenay；〃 she asked； 〃to look at
all those foreign newspapers hanging there and know that most of
them have got paragraphs and articles about your Persian speech？〃
Youghal laughed。
〃There's always a chastening corrective in the thought that some of
them may have printed your portrait。 When once you've seen your
features hurriedly reproduced in the MATIN； for instance； you feel
you would like to be a veiled Turkish woman for the rest of your
life。〃
And Youghal gazed long and lovingly at his reflection in the
nearest mirror； as an antidote against possible incitements to
humility in the portrait gallery of fame。
Elaine felt a certain soothed satisfaction in the fact that this
young man； whose knowledge of the Middle East was an embarrassment
to Ministers at question time and in debate； was showing himself
equally well…informed on the subject of her culinary likes and
dislikes。 If Suzette could have been forced to attend as a witness
at a neighbouring table she would have felt even happier。
〃Did the head waiter ask if we were engaged？〃 asked Elaine； when
Courtenay had settled the bill； and she had finished collecting her
sunshade and gloves and other impedimenta from the hands of
obsequiou