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298 This was all delivered in the coldest of tones and Lucia snatched a morsel of wax off Eb.

“I’ve heard none,” said Georgie in great discomfort. “I just dropped in.”

Lucia fixed Peppino with a glance. If she shouted at the top of her voice she could not have conveyed more unmistakably that she was going to manage this situation.

“Ah, that is very pleasant,” she said. “Peppino and I have been so busy lately that we have seen nobody. We are quite country-cousins, and so the town-mouse must spare us a little cheese. How is dear Miss Bracely now?”

“Very well,” said Georgie. “I saw her this morning.”

Lucia gave a sigh of relief.

“That is good,” she said. “Peppino, do you hear? Miss Bracely is quite well. Not overtired with practising that new opera? Lucy Grecian, was it? Oh, how silly I am! Lucretia; that was it, by that extraordinary Neapolitan. Yes. And what next? Our good Mrs Weston, now! Still thinking about her nice young man? Making orange-flower wreaths, and choosing bridesmaids? How naughty I am! Yes. And then dear Daisy? How is she? Still entertaining princesses? I look in the Court Circular every morning to see Princess Pop – Pop – Popoff isn’t it? if Princess Popoff has popped off to see her cousin the Czar again. Dear me!”

The amount of malice, envy and all uncharitableness which Lucia managed to put into this quite unrehearsed speech was positively amazing. She had not thought it over beforehand for a moment;