Who ever fell a victim to
punctuality, patience, or frugality? It is other and different
qualities which colour the personality and ensnare the heart; though
the stodgy and reliable traits hold it, I dare say, when once
captured. Don't you know Berkeley says, 'D - n it, madam, who falls
in love with attributes?'"
Meantime Violet and Celandine have come out on the balcony, and
seeing the tinkling musicians there, have straightway banished them
to another part of the house.
"A good thing, too!" murmured Bertie Godolphin, "making a beastly
row in that 'nailing' little corner, collecting a crowd sooner or
later, don't you know, and putting a dead stop to the jolly little
flirtations."
The Honourable Arthur glanced critically at Celandine. "I should
make up to her," he said thoughtfully. "She's the best groomed one
of the whole stud, though why you call her Celandine I can't think."
"It's a flower, and her dress is yellow, can't you see, man? You've
got no sense of colour," said the candid Bertie. "I believe you'd
just as soon be a green parrot with a red head as not."
And now the guests began to arrive; so many of them and so near
together that we hardly had time to label them as they said good
evening, and told dear Lady Brighthelmston how pretty the
decorations were, and how prevalent the influenza had been, and how
very sultry the weather, and how clever it was of her to give her
party in a vacant house, and what a delightful marriage Rose was
making, and how well dear Patricia looked.
