It flattered my vanity a little to be able to say that I had a corner table always reserved in the Salon des Palmiers, otherwise Salon Blanc, where the atmosphere was legitimist and extremely decorous besides--even in Carnival time.

"Nine tenths of the people there," I said, "would be of your political opinions, if that's an inducement.
Come along.

Let's be festive," I encouraged them.
I didn't feel particularly festive.

What I wanted was to remain in my company and break an inexplicable feeling of constraint of which I was aware.

Mills looked at me steadily with a faint, kind smile.
"No," said Blunt.