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Show 192 "Do see it if you happen by that way. There's something so offhand about barging into the John and finding a painting right there in the bathtub first thing. You expect to find another one under the bed and another one back in the refrigerator with the onions." "Ask me where he takes a bath while it's soaking," Lorin said. "Oh," said Gloriana. "I believe I hear the cheese and olives calling me," said Yvonne, laughing happily. "Do excuse me just for a bit. I won't be a moment. They watched her stumble over a pair of feet on her way to the kitchen and slap her knees when the poor devil (it was Harry, crimson to the ears) scrambled to help her up, knocking over her plate of radishes and sliced cucumbers. "I've seen her before," Gloriana said. "Who is she?" He told her, and she looked at him thoughtfully. He knew that look. It was an appraising look. He was more interesting than she had expected. "Do you suppose we'd better go look?" she asked. "She'll be disappointed if we don't," he said. He was going to add something mysterious about disappointments in general, but she was already on her feet and padding across the carpet toward the bathroom. He made a necessary adjustment before she turned to see where he was, and then got up and followed her, stepping over Paul's feet and ignoring Noel. "I'll just leave this door open so people won't think we came in together to fool around," he said as they stood by the tub. She crinkled her eyes. That was a characteristic gesture, he was learning. It meant she took what you had said in a friendly spirit. He hoped she might respond by saying something cooperative like "Evil to him who evil thinks." "That's very circumspect," she said, and looked down at the drowned painting. |