'_Tea_? At three o'clock in the afternoon! I never heard of such a
thing. You seem to have strangely Bohemian ideas in this house,
Miss Yeo!'

'Do you think tea Bohemian? Well, coffee then?'

Lady Cannon hesitated, but wishing for an excuse to wait, she said--

'Thank you, if it isn't giving any trouble; perhaps I'll take a cup of
coffee. I didn't have any after lunch.'

'Oh, yes, do. I'll go and order it at once.'

Anne walked with slow, languid dignity to the door, and when she had
shut it, flew like a hunted hare to the studio, where Cecil Reeve and
Hyacinth were sitting together.

'Hyacinth,' she said sharply, 'run upstairs at once, put on your hat, go
to the hall door and bang it, and come into the drawing-room. Lady
Cannon's going to stop the whole afternoon. She's in an
appalling temper.'

'She won't wait long,' exclaimed Hyacinth, 'surely?'

'Won't she? She's ordered coffee. She'll be smoking a cigarette before
you know where you are.'

'Oh, I'll go,' said Cecil. 'Let me go.'

'Of course you must go,' said Anne. 'You can come back in an hour.'