Page:The Tragic Muse (London & New York, Macmillan & Co., 1890), Volume 3.djvu/122

114 "Biddy? Oh, probably, as I tell you, at any moment."

"I mean the great Miriam," Peter replied.

"The great Miriam, if she's punctual, will be here in about forty minutes."

"And will she be likely to find your sister?"

"My dear fellow, that will depend on whether my sister remains to see her."

"Exactly; but the point is whether you'll allow her to remain, isn't it?"

Nick looked slightly mystified. "Why shouldn't she do as she likes?"

"In that case she'll probably go."

"Yes, unless she stays."

"Don't let her," Peter dropped; "send her away." And to explain this he added: "It doesn't seem exactly the right sort of thing, young girls meeting actresses." His explanation in turn struck him as requiring another clause; so he went on: "At least it isn't thought the right sort of thing abroad, and even in England my foreign ideas stick to me."

Even with this amplification however his proposition evidently still appeared to his companion to have a flaw; which, after he had considered it a moment, Nick exposed in the simple words: "Why, you originally introduced them, in Paris—Biddy and Miss Rooth. Didn't they meet at your rooms and fraternize, and wasn't that much more abroad than this?"

"So they did, but she didn't like it," Peter answered, suspecting that for a diplomatist he looked foolish.

"Miss Rooth didn't like it?" Nick persisted.