"Thank you very much, I'm sure.
No good my refusing now, as you're already in?"
"No, indeed," Mary laughed.
"I wish you were going with us to the Villa Bella Vista," said the
other. "From what I can see, we don't seem likely to get much
unselfishness there, from anybody."
Then, as she undressed, showing exquisite underclothing, she followed
her ambiguous remark by pouring out information concerning herself, her
companions, and their plans.
She was from Australia, and intimated that her father, lately dead, had
left plenty of money. She had met Lord and Lady Dauntrey a month ago in
Brighton at the Metropole. Where the Dauntreys had "picked up the
Collises," Dodo Wardropp did not know, but they were "late
acquisitions." "Lord and Lady Dauntrey have taken a furnished villa at
Monte for the season," she went on, "a big one, so they can have lots of
guests. I and the Collises are the first instalment, but they're
expecting others: two or three men with titles."
She said this as if "titles" were a disease, like measles. As she rubbed
off the day's powder and paint with cold cream, there was a nice smell
in the little room of the _wagon lit_, like the scent of a theatrical
dressing-room.
"I suppose you're looking forward to a delightful winter," Mary
ventured, from her berth, as Dodo hid a low-necked lace nightgown under
a pink silk kimono embroidered with gold.
"I hope!" exclaimed Miss Wardropp. "I pay for it, anyhow. I don't mind
telling, as you aren't going to Monte, and won't know any of them, that
we're sort of glorified paying-guests.
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