And I could have clapped my hands, in what Ivor would call my
"impish joy," when it was settled; for the Elysee Palace is where Lord
and Lady Mountstuart stop when they visit Paris, and they'd been talking
of running over next day with Lord Robert West, to look at a wonderful
new motor car for sale there--one that a Rajah had ordered to be made
for him, but died before it was finished. Lady Mountstuart always has
one new fad every six months at least, and her latest is to drive a
motor car herself. Lord Robert is a great expert--can make a motor, I
believe, or take it to pieces and put it together again; and he'd been
insisting for days that she would be able to drive this Rajah car. She'd
promised, that if not too tired she'd cross to Paris the day after the
ball, taking the afternoon train, via Boulogne, as she wouldn't be equal
to an early start. Now, I thought, how splendid it would be if she
should see Maxine at the hotel with Ivor!
The Foreign Secretary was advising Ivor to wire the Elysee Palace for
rooms without any delay, as there must be no hitch about his meeting
Maxine, once it was arranged for her to go there. "Any misunderstanding
would be fatal," he went on, as solemnly as if the safety of Maxine's
head depended upon Ivor's trip.
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