Page:Leave it to Psmith.djvu/14

14 Emsworth was tall and lean and scraggy; Rupert Baxter thick-set and handicapped by that vaguely grubby appearance which is presented by swarthy young men of bad complexion; and even Beach, though dignified, and Freddie, though slim, would never have got far in a beauty competition. But Lady Constance Keeble really took the eye. She was a strikingly handsome woman in the middle forties. She had a fair, broad brow, teeth of a perfect even whiteness, and the carriage of an empress. Her eyes were large and grey, and gentle—and incidentally misleading, for gentle was hardly the adjective which anybody who knew her would have applied to Lady Constance. Though genial enough when she got her way, on the rare occasions when people attempted to thwart her she was apt to comport herself in a manner reminiscent of Cleopatra on one of the latter’s bad mornings.

"I hope I am not disturbing you," said Lady Constance with a bright smile. "I just came in to tell you to be sure not to forget, Clarence, that you are going to London this afternoon to meet Mr. McTodd."

"I was just telling Lord Emsworth,” said Baxter, "that the car would be at the door at two."

"Thank you, Mr. Baxter. Of course I might have known that you would not forget. You are so wonderfully capable. I don’t know what in the world we would do without you."

The Efficient Baxter bowed. But, though gratified, he was not overwhelmed by the tribute. The same thought had often occurred to him independently.

"If you will excuse me," he said, "I have one or two things to attend to..."

"Certainly, Mr. Baxter."

The Efficient One withdrew through the door in