第6部分(第3/8 頁)

ur　hand。　You　can　make　things　very　awkward　for　her。〃

〃Oh；　for　God's　sake　be　quiet；〃　cried　Kettering。　〃Shut　your　cursed　mouth！〃

Mirelle　flung　herself　down　again　on　the　divan　with　a　laugh。　Kettering　caught　up　his　hat　and　coat　and　left　the　flat；　banging　the　door　violently。　And　still　the　dancer　sat　on　the　divan　and　laughed　softly　to　herself。　She　was　not　displeased　with　her　work。

Chapter　7

LETTERS

〃Mrs　Samuel　Harfield　presents　her　pliments　to　Miss　Katherine　Grey　and　wishes　to　point　out　that　under　the　circumstances　Miss　Grey　may　not　be　aware　…〃

Mrs　Harfield；　having　written　so　far　fluently；　came　to　a　dead　stop；　held　up　by　what　has　proved　an　insuperable　difficulty　to　many　other　people　…　namely；　the　difficulty　of　expressing　oneself　fluently　in　the　third　person。

After　a　minute　or　two　of　hesitation；　Mrs　Harfield　tore　up　the　sheet　of　notepaper　and　started　afresh。

〃Dear　Miss　Grey；

Whilst　fully　appreciating　the　adequate　way　you　discharged　your　duties　to　my　Cousin　Emma　（whose　recent　death　has　indeed　been　a　severe　blow　to　us　all）；　I　cannot　but　feel　…〃

Again　Mrs　Harfield　came　to　a　stop。　Once　more　the　letter　was　consigned　to　the　wastepaper…basket。

It　was　not　until　four　false　starts　had　been　made　that　Mrs　Harfield　at　last　produced　an　epistle　that　satisfied　her。　It　was　duly　sealed　and　stamped　and　addressed　to　Miss　Katherine　Grey；　Little　Crampton；　St　Mary　Mead；　Kent；　and　it　lay　beside　that　lady's　plate　on　the　following　mo