There may have been a trifle more colour in her cheeks; but what preoccupied Rita was in her eyes--a fleeting glimpse of something that suddenly concentrated all of Rita's attention upon the girl across the table.
For a full minute she sat looking at Valerie who seemed pleasantly unconscious of her inspection; then almost stealthily she shifted her gaze to Neville.
Gladys and her kitten came purring around in quest of cream; Rita gathered them into her arms and caressed them and fed them bits of cassava and crumbs of cake.

She was unusually silent that afternoon.
John Burleson tried to interest her with heavy information of various kinds, but she only smiled absently at that worthy man.

Sam Ogilvy and Harry Annan attempted to goad her into one of those lively exchanges of banter in which Rita was entirely capable of taking care of herself.
But her smile was spiritless and non-combative; and finally they let her alone and concentrated their torment upon Valerie, who endured it with equanimity and dangerously sparkling eyes, and an occasional lightening retort which kept those young men busy, especially when the epigram was in Latin--which hurt their feelings.
She had just furnished them with a sample of this classical food for thought when the door-bell rang and Neville looked up in astonishment to see Jose Querida come in.
"Hello," he said, springing up with friendly hand outstretched--"this is exceedingly good of you, Querida.

You have not been here in a very long while." Querida's smile showed his teeth; he bowed to Valerie and to Rita, bowed to the men in turn, and smiled on Neville.
"In excuse I must plead work, my dear fellow--a poor plea and poorer excuse for the pleasure lost in seeing you--" he nodded to the others--"and in missing many agreeable little gatherings--similar to this, I fancy ?" There was a rising inflection to his voice which made the end of his little speech terminate as a question; and he looked to Valerie for his answer.
"Yes," she said, "we usually have tea in Kelly's studio.

And you may have some now, if you wish, Jose." He nodded his thanks and placed his chair beside hers.
The conversation had become general; Rita woke up, dumped the cats out of her lap, and made a few viciously verbal passes at Ogilvy.