_Lady Cant. (by the tea-table)._ Why don't you make that woman of yours send you up decent cakes, my dear? These are cinders. I'm afraid you let her have too much of her own way. Now, tell me--who are your party? VIVIEN SPELWANE! Never have that girl to meet me again, I can't _endure_ her; and that affected little ape of a Mr. PILLINER--h'm! Do I see Captain THICKNESSE? Now, I don't object to _him_. MAISIE and he used to be great friends.... Ah, how do you _do_, Captain THICKNESSE? Quite pleasant finding you here; such ages since we saw anything of you! Why haven't you been near us all this time?... Oh, I may have been out once or twice when you called; but you might have tried again, _mightn't_ you? There, _I_ forgive you; you had better go and see if you can make your peace with MAISIE!
_Capt. Thick. (to himself, as he obeys)._ Doosid odd, the Countess comin' round like this. Wish she'd thought of it before.
_Lady Cant. (in a whisper)._ He's always been such a favourite of mine. They tell me his uncle, poor dear Lord DUNDERHEAD, is _so_ ill--felt the loss of his only son so terribly. Of course it will make a great difference--in many ways.
_Capt. Thick._ (_constrainedly to_ Lady MAISIE). How do you do? Afraid you've forgotten me.
_Lady Maisie._ Oh no, indeed! (_Hurriedly._) You--you don't know Mr. SPURRELL, I think? (_Introducing them._) Captain THICKNESSE.
_Capt. Thick._ How are you? Been hearin' a lot about you lately. _Andromeda_, don't you know; and that kind of thing.
_Spurr._ It's wonderful what a hit she seems to have made--not that I'm _surprised_ at it, either; I always knew----
_Lady Maisie (hastily)._ Oh, Mr. SPURRELL, you haven't had any tea! _Do_ go and get some before it's taken away.
_Capt. Thick._ Been tryin' to get you to notice me ever since you came; but you were so awfully absorbed, you know!
_Lady Maisie._ Was I? So absorbed as all that! What with?
_Capt. Thick._ Well, it looked like it--with talkin' to your poetical friend.
_Lady Maisie (flushing)._ He is not _my_ friend in particular; I--I admire his poetry, of course.
_Capt. Thick. (to himself)._ Can't even speak of him without a change of colour. Bad sign that! (_Aloud._) You always _were_ keen about poetry and literature and that in the old days, weren't you? Used to rag me for not readin' enough. But I do now. I was readin' a book only last week. I'll tell you the name if you give me a minute to think--book everybody's readin' just now--no end of a clever book.