She admired Theo's splendid red hair and
dazzling skin. She saw that, though the young woman's clothes were simple,
their simplicity was Parisian and expensive; and she saw also that Theo
was a flirt--a "man-eater," as she put it to herself, her dark eyes
meeting the green eyes in a first understanding glance.
Miss Dene was far from unwilling to be pumped. In fact, she meant to be
pumped; and that afternoon, while Mrs. Harland was writing letters and
Falconer was with his secretary, whom he could not escape even in the
country, she invited Mrs. Gaylor to sit with her on the broad veranda,
beneath which the river ran singing a never-ending song.
The two pretty women, the one dark the other fair, made a charming
picture, and neither was oblivious of the fact; but it would not have
occurred to Carmen that her self-appreciation might be put into words.
However, she laughed when Theo said:
"What a shame there aren't any men to admire us! We're both looking too
adorable, aren't we? I should love to snapshot you in that Indian hammock,
though the picture would lose a lot without colour. And it's very unkind
of you if you wouldn't like to have a picture of me in my green
rocking-chair on the scarlet rug."
This gave Carmen a chance to touch upon the subject in her heart without,
as she thought, arousing any suspicion.
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