Mary grew more and more bewildered.

She had not heard that at the studio receptions which Joyce and her associates in the flat gave fortnightly, that all these world-known artists and singers and writers were guests.

It was strange Joyce had never mentioned them.

But Mrs.Redmond named them all so glibly and familiarly, that she could not doubt her.
Almost petrified at seeing Mary walk into the room, A.O.had relapsed into a silence which she could not break.

Jimmy, too, sat tongue-tied, staring in fascination at the strange blonde lady whose fluent, softly modulated speech seemed to exert some kind of hypnotic influence over him.