“Ah!” said Caroline interestedly. “Chow.”
“I believe,” said Miss Gannett, temporarily diverted, “that it’s the right thing nowadays to say ‘Chee’ not ‘Chow.’ ”
“Nonsense,” said Caroline. “I have always said ‘ Chow .’ ”
“In the Shanghai Club,” said Colonel Carter, “they say ‘ Chow .’ ”
Miss Gannett retired, crushed.
“What were you saying about Flora Ackroyd?” asked Caroline, after a moment or two devoted to the game. “Was she with anyone?”
“Very much so,” said Miss Gannett.
The eyes of the two ladies met, and seemed to exchange information.
“Really,” said Caroline interestedly. “Is that it? Well, it doesn’t surprise me in the least.”
“We’re waiting for you to discard, Miss Caroline,” said the colonel. He sometimes affects the pose of the bluff male, intent on the game and indifferent to gossip. But nobody is deceived.
“If you ask me,” said Miss Gannett. “(Was that a Bamboo you discarded, dear? Oh! no, I see now—it was a Circle.) As I was saying, if you ask me, Flora’s been exceedingly lucky. Exceedingly lucky she’s been.”
“How’s that, Miss Gannett?” asked the colonel. “I’ll Pung that Green Dragon. How do you make out that Miss Flora’s been lucky? Very charming girl and all that, I know.”
“I mayn’t know very much about crime,” said Miss Gannett, with the air of one who knows everything there is to know, “but I can tell you one thing. The first question that’s always asked is ‘Who last saw the deceased