She therefore ignored Mrs. Wilkins and said gravely, with a
downward face of impenetrable calm bent on her egg, "Yes. I arrived
yesterday with Lady Caroline."
"It's really dreadful," said Mrs. Wilkins, exactly as if she had
not been ignored. "There's nobody left to get anything ready for now.
I fee thwarted. I feel as if the bread had been taken out of my mouth
just when I was going to be happy swallowing it."
"Where will you sit?" asked Mrs. Fisher of Mrs. Arbuthnot--markedly
of Mrs. Arbuthnot; the comparison with the bread seemed to her most
unpleasant.
"Oh, thank you--" said Mrs. Arbuthnot, sitting down rather
suddenly next to her.
There were only two places she could sit down in, the places laid
on either side of Mrs. Fisher. She therefore sat down in one, and Mrs.
Wilkins sat down opposite her in the other.
Mrs. Fisher was at the head of the table. Round her was grouped
the coffee and the tea. Of course they were all sharing San Salvatore
equally, but it was she herself and Lotty, Mrs. Arbuthnot mildly
reflected, who had found it, who had had the work of getting it, who
had chosen to admit Mrs. Fisher into it. Without them, she could not
help thinking, Mrs. Fisher would not have been there. Morally Mrs.
Fisher was a guest. There was no hostess in this party, but supposing
there had been a hostess it would not have been Mrs.
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