As he sat at ease after the labours of the day he wondered how the
coming of Olga Bracely to Riseholme would affect the economy of the
place. It was impossible to think of her with her beauty, her charm,
her fame, her personality as taking any second place in its life.
Unless she was really meaning to use Riseholme as a retreat, to take no
part in its life at all, it was hard to see what part she would take
except the first part. One who by her arrival at Lucia's ever-memorable
party had converted it in a moment from the most dire of Scrubs (in a
psychical sense) to the Hightumest gathering ever known could not lay
aside her distinction and pre-eminence. Never had Lucia "scored" so
amazingly as over Olga's late appearance, which had the effect of
bringing back all her departed guests with the compulsion of a magnet
over iron-filings, and sending up the whole party like a rocket into
the zenith of social success. All Riseholme knew that Olga had come
(after playing croquet with Georgie the entire afternoon) and had given
them free gratis and for nothing, such a treat as only the wealthiest
could obtain with the most staggering fees. Lady Ambermere alone,
driving back to The Hall with Pug and poor Miss Lyall, was the only
person who had not shared in that, and she knew all about it next day,
for Georgie had driven out on purpose to tell her, and met Lucia coming
away.
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