She warmed slightly, however, when in some
turn of the conversation Mrs. Cayley-Binns mentioned knowing "that Miss
Grant, who is engaged to _poor_ Prince Giovanni Della Robbia." Seeing
that she had inadvertently struck a vein of ore, Mrs. Cayley-Binns
ventured to hint that the family of the Prince was known to her also.
She was wisely a little mysterious about the acquaintance, and contrived
to pique the interest of Miss Sutfield by vague and desperately involved
allusions. When she begged the lady's good offices in the matter of a
card for Lady Meason's next Casino tea, the favour was promised. The
card came for mother and daughter, who met nobody during the early part
of the entertainment, except a journalist who kindly pointed out
notabilities--a good-natured man who confessed hating so intensely to
hurt people's feelings that he invented for his "society" articles new
pink, white or green frocks for girls who were too often obliged to
appear in their old blue ones, during the season. Later, however, Miss
Sutfield swept toward them like a large yacht under full sail, and
regretted that her friend Miss Idina Bland had been prevented from
appearing, on account of a sharp attack of influenza.
"She's staying with me at the Annonciata," Mousie's friend explained; "a
charming creature, so uncommon, lately come into a tremendous lot of
money, I believe, through some relative in America she nursed till the
end. She wanted to have a talk with you both, when I told her you knew
the Duke of Rienzi's family.
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