Miss Arbuthnot was everywhere, and Mr Pelham shadowed her. Opinions
were freely bandied as to the existence or non-existence of an
engagement, the majority inclining to the belief that one existed.
Fenwick, on the other hand, was seldom seen near her, Mrs Leslie began
to recover her equanimity, and perhaps only Claudia was aware that when
he was in the same room with Helen his eyes followed her, or that he was
more than usually silent and self-occupied. She was invariably well
dressed, in a manner which set off her large figure; people turned to
look at her as she passed, and she seemed to fling into insignificance
such slim beauties as Claudia. Whether from chance or intention, the
two seldom said much to each other, but it happened that one grey
afternoon at the club-house, they found themselves near each other
watching a game of bicycle polo.
Miss Arbuthnot deliberately walked up to Claudia.
"Detesting games! I am bored to death," she said, "and so--I imagine--
are you. Don't you think we should suffer less if we escaped beyond the
sounds of croquet and lawn-tennis, and everything except the clack of
our own voices?"