CHAPTER III

NARCISSUS TRIANDRUS AZUREUM


The _élite_ called to congratulate Mrs. Polkington on her daughter's
engagement. All manner of pleasant things were said by them and by
Mrs. Polkington in an atmosphere of social sunshine. She thought it so
nice of them to come so soon, she told them so severally; she knew
that they--"you all," "you, at least," "you, my oldest friend,"
according to circumstances--would be pleased to hear about it. She
gave sundry little hints of future plans and hopes, among other things
mentioned that it really was hard for poor Violet to have to go and
cheer an invalid cousin just now.

"And the worst of it is," so Mrs. Polkington said, "she may have to be
away some time. There really seems no one else to go, and one could
not leave the poor dear alone at this dull time of the year; and,
after all, Bath is not very far off; some of Richard's people live
there, too. I should not be surprised if the young people contrive to
see a good deal of each other in spite of everything. Indeed, had I
not thought so, I think I should have insisted on Chèrie's going
instead of Violet, although she would have had to give up her winter
abroad."

Here the visitor usually made polite inquiries about this same winter
abroad, and heard of a delightful prospect of several months to be
spent in the south of France, unnecessary and unpleasant details all