This Italian word, not understanded of the people, came rather late, for already Lucia had struck the bell, as, unconsciously, she was emphasising her generous proposal, and Grosvenor and her satellite had been in the room quite a long time. Concealment from le domestiche was therefore no longer possible. In fact both Georgie and Lucia had forgotten about the domestiche altogether.

‘That’s most kind of you, Lucia,’ said Georgie. ‘But you know what Daisy is. As obstinate as –’

‘As a palfrey,’ interrupted Lucia.

‘Yes, quite. Certainly I’ll tell her what you say, or rather suggest what you might say if she asked you to coach her, but I don’t believe it will be any use. The whole fête has become an awful bore. There are six weeks yet before it’s held, and she wants to practise knighting me every day, and has processions up and down her garden, and she gets all the tradesmen in the place to walk before her as halberdiers and sea-captains, when they ought to be attending to their businesses and chopping meat and milking cows. Everyone’s sick of it. I wish you would take it over, and be Queen yourself. Oh, I forgot, I promised Daisy I wouldn’t encourage you. Dear me, how awful!’

Lucia laughed, positively laughed. This was an enormous improvement on the pensive smiles.

‘Not awful at all, Georgino mio,’ she said. ‘I can well imagine poor Daisy’s feverish fear that I should try to save her from being ridiculous. She loves being ridiculous, dear thing; it’s a complex with her – that wonderful new book of Freud’s which I must read – and subconsciously she pines to be ridiculous on as large a scale as possible. But as for my taking it over, that’s quite out of the question. To begin with, I don’t suppose I shall be here. Twelfth of August isn’t it? Grouse-shooting opens in Scotland and bear-baiting at Riseholme.’

‘No, that was given up,’ said Georgie. ‘I opposed it throughout on the committee. I said that even if we could get a bear at all, it wouldn’t be baited if it didn’t get angry –’

Lucia interrupted.

‘And that if it did get angry it would be awful,’ she put in.

‘Yes. How did you know I said that?’ asked Georgie. ‘Rather neat, wasn’t it?’

‘Very neat indeed, caro,’ said she. ‘I knew you said it because Daisy told me she had said it herself.’

‘What a cheat!’ said Georgie indignantly.

Lucia looked at him wistfully.

‘Ah, you mustn’t think hardly of poor dear Daisy,’ she said. ‘Cheat is too strong a word. Just a little envious, perhaps, of bright clever things that other people say, not being very quick herself.’

‘Anyhow, I shall tell her that I know she has bagged my joke,’ said he.