Part 47 (1/2)

”The gentleman,” announced Grandma unexpectedly, ”shall talk to me as long as he likes.”

”Aha, Tilly, old lady! That's one for you,” cried the watchful Percy, and the Welwyn family laughed, hurriedly and tumultuously. Grandma's octogenarian heart glowed. Social success had come to her at last. She began to enjoy herself hugely. Tilly cast an anxious glance round her.

Grandma's entrance had sensibly lowered the temperature of the tea-party, and worse threatened. Already Lady Adela was exhibiting a tendency to edge towards the fireplace. It was only too plain that she contemplated yet another ”cosy chat.” Tilly decided to fall back upon the one trustworthy person in the room.

”Granny,” she said, taking d.i.c.ky by the arm and leading him forward, ”I want to introduce Mr. d.i.c.k Mainwaring. You have heard of him, have n't you?”

Mrs. Banks surveyed d.i.c.ky over her spectacles.

”Yes,” replied Mrs. Banks with deliberation, ”I 'ave 'eard of you. You and our Tilly are walking out.”

d.i.c.ky a.s.sented with a happy laugh, and dropped into the only chair in Grandma's vicinity. Tilly breathed again: Lady Adela's further advance was checked. The party settled down once more, and talk broke out afresh.

Grandma Banks, whose conversational flights were not as a rule encouraged by her relatives, availed herself of her present emanc.i.p.ation to embark upon a brief homily to d.i.c.ky.

”I tells you this, young man,” she said in a hectoring voice, ”you've got a treasure in our Tilly. Don't you forget it.”

”I made that discovery for myself a long time ago,” said d.i.c.ky. He smiled up at his treasure, who was sitting upon the arm of his chair.

The treasure's grandmother, having in the mean time been supplied with refreshment by Amelia, took a piece of bread-and-b.u.t.ter and rolled it up into a convenient cylinder.

”Yes,” she continued, dipping the end of the cylinder into her tea, ”she takes after her mother, does Tilly. She may get some of her looks from her father's side, but when it comes to character, she's a Banks.” Her aged voice rose higher. ”Always been respectable, 'as the Bankses,” she announced shrilly. ”Very different from--”

At this point not less than three persons enquired of Lady Adela if she would not take another cup of tea; and in the hospitable melee which ensued Grandma's further utterances were obscured.

Percy was holding Lady Adela's cup, and Tilly was re-filling it, when the door opened and Mr. Stillbottle made his second entrance. As before, he came to a halt immediately on appearing, and coughed in a distressing fas.h.i.+on without making any attempt to deliver his lines.

”There is that quaint old retainer of yours again, Tilly,” said Sylvia.

Tilly turned quickly.

”Well, Russell?” she asked.

Mr. Stillbottle, ignoring her entirely, addressed himself to the master of the house.

”A message has came through on the telephone, sir,” he chanted, fixing his eyes upon an imaginary prompt-book on the opposite wall, ”askin' for you to be so kind as to attend a meetin' of the Club C'mittee at three o'clock on Toosday next.”

”I think I am engaged,” replied Mr. Welwyn, with an anxious glance in the direction of his mother-in-law (who was fortunately busily occupied in masticating a cylinder); ”but say I will let them know.”

”Right,” said Mr. Stillbottle, and departed.

The Welwyns, who during the time occupied by their butler's second ”turn,” had been inclining uneasy ears in the direction of the open doorway, surveyed one another in a frightened fas.h.i.+on. All was not well on the second floor: evidence to that effect was plainly audible.

”Great bore, these committee meetings,” commented Mr. Welwyn. ”I expect you have your fill of them, Mainwaring.”

”Alas, yes!” said Mr. Mainwaring. ”They are all the same. Everybody sits and looks portentously solemn--”

”All sorts of non-controversial business is brought forward as a matter of pressing importance--”

”Everybody disagrees with everybody else--”

”And ultimately everything is left to the Secretary, who arranges matters quite satisfactorily without any a.s.sistance whatsoever!”