"Rather short notice."
"We're not doing anything, are we?" he asked.
Peppino was a little imperceptive sometimes.
"No, it wasn't that I meant," she said. "But there's a little more
informality about it than one would expect."
"Probably it's an informal party," said he.
"It certainly seems most informal. I am not accustomed to be asked
quite like that."
Peppino began to be aware of the true nature of the situation.
"I see what you mean, _cara_," he said. "So don't let us go. Then
she will take the hint perhaps."
Lucia thought this over for a moment and found that she rather wanted
to go. But a certain resentment that had been slowly accumulating in
her mind for some days past began to leak out first, before she
consented to overlook Olga's informality.
"It is a fortnight since I called on her," she said, "and she has not
even returned the call. I daresay they behave like that in London in
certain circles, but I don't know that London is any better for it."
"She has been away twice since she came," said Peppino. "She has hardly
been here for a couple of days together yet."
"I may be wrong," said Lucia. "No doubt I am wrong. But I should have
thought that she might have spared half-an-hour out of these days by
returning my call. However, she thought not."
Peppino suddenly recollected a thrilling piece of news which most
unaccountably he had forgotten to tell Lucia.
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