"He knows about everything--a man of the world."

"Well, get some one for Fleur. I want to distract her. She's going
off on Saturday to Val Dartie and his wife; I don't like it."

"Why not?"

Since the reason could not be explained without going into family
history, Soames merely answered:

"Racketing about. There's too much of it."

"I like that little Mrs. Val; she is very quiet and clever."

"I know nothing of her except--This thing's new." And Soames took
up a creation from the bed.

Annette received it from him.

"Would you hook me?" she said.

Soames hooked. Glancing once over her shoulder into the glass, he
saw the expression on her face, faintly amused, faintly
contemptuous, as much as to say: 'Thanks! You will never learn!'
No, thank God, he wasn't a Frenchman! He finished with a jerk, and
the words:

"It's too low here." And he went to the door, with the wish to get
away from her and go down to Fleur again.