'Do come!' said Logotheti.
The two words were spoken in just the right tone, neither as if his
life depended on her answer, nor as if he were asking her to do
something just a little risky, which would be amusing; but quite
naturally, as if he would be really glad should she accept, but by no
means overwhelmed with despair if she refused.
'Thank you,' she answered. 'It's very nice of you to ask us. I'll
come.' Logotheti smiled pleasantly, but looked away, perhaps not caring that
she should see his eyes, even in the uncertain light. The three
hastened to leave the theatre, for the stage was already full of
workmen, the Egyptian palm was moving in one direction, the
Commendatore's white horse was joggling away uneasily in another, and
the steps of somebody's enchanted palace were being dragged forward
into place. All was noise, dust and apparent confusion.
Margaret expected that Logotheti's house would somehow correspond with
his own outward appearance and would be architecturally over-dressed,
inside and out, but in this she was greatly mistaken. It was evidently
a new house, in a quarter where many houses were new and where some
were not in the most perfect taste, though none were monstrosities. It
was not exceptionally big, and was certainly not showy; on the whole,
it had the unmistakable air of having been built by a good architect,
of the very best materials and in a way to last as long as hewn stone
can. Such beauty as it had lay in its proportions and not in any sort
of ornament, for it was in fact rather plainer than most of its
neighbours in the Boulevard Péreire.
The big door opened noiselessly just as the car came up, but Logotheti,
who drove himself, did not turn in.
'It's rather a tight fit,' he explained, as he stopped by the
curbstone.
He gave his hand to Margaret to get down. As her foot touched the
pavement a man who was walking very fast, with his head down, made a
step to one side, to get out of the way, and then, recognising her and
the Greek, lifted his hat hastily and would have passed on. She started
with an exclamation of surprise, for it was Lushington, whom she had
supposed to be in London. Logotheti spoke first, calling to him in
English.
'Hollo! Lushington--I say!' Lushington stopped instantly and turned half round, with an exclamation
intended to express an imaginary surprise, for he had recognised all
three at first sight.
'Oh!' he exclaimed coldly. 'Is that you? How are you?' Margaret offered her hand as he did not put out his. She was a little
surprised to see that he did not change colour when he took it, as he
always used to do when they met; he did not seem in the least shy, now,
and there was a hard look in his eyes.