yet. She's coming by car with Lady Cockpurse." "Brenda's been such a friend to me." The Princess took off her furs and sat down on the stool before the fire, looking up at Tony. "D'you mind if I take off my hat?" "No, no... of course." She threw it on to the sofa and shook out her hair, which was dead black and curled. "D'you know, Mr. Last, I'm going to call you Teddy right away. You don't think that very fresh of me? And you must call me Jenny. Princess is so formal, isn't it, and suggests tight trousers and gold braid... Of course," she went on, stretching out her hands to the fire and letting her hair fall forwards a little across her face, "my husband was not called 'Prince' in Morocco; his title was Moulay-but there's no proper equivalent for a woman so I've always called myself Princess in Europe... Moulay is far higher really... my husband was a descendant of the Prophet. Are you interested in the East?" "No... yes. I mean I know very little about it." "It has an uncanny fascination for me. You must go there, Teddy. I know you'd like it. I've been saying the same to Brenda." "I expect you'd like to see your room," said Tony. "They'll bring tea soon." "No, I'll stay here. I like just to curl up like a cat in front of the fire, and if you're nice to me I'll purr, and if you're cruel I shall pretend not to notice-just like a cat... Shall I purr, Teddy?" "Er... yes... do, please, if that's what you like doing." "Englishmen are so gentle and considerate. It's wonderful to be back among them... mine own people. Sometimes when I look back at my life, especially at times like this among lovely old English things and kind people, I think the whole thing must be a frightful nightmare... then I remember my scars..." "Brenda tells me you've taken one of the flats in the same house as hers. They must be very convenient." "How English you are, Teddy-so shy of talking about personal things, intimate things... I like you for that, you know. I love everything that's solid and homely and good after... after all I've been through." "You're not studying economics too, are you, like Brenda?" "No; is Brenda? She never told me. What a wonderful person she is. When does she find the time?" "Ah, here comes tea at last," said Tony. "I hope you allow yourself to eat muffins. So many of our guests nowadays are on a diet. I think muffins one of the few things that make the English winter endurable." "Muffins stand for so much," said Jenny. She ate heartily; often she ran her tongue over her lips, collecting crumbs that had become embedded there and melted butter from the muffin. One drop of butter fell on her chin and glittered there unobserved except by Tony. It was a relief to him when John Andrew was brought in. "Come and be introduced to Princess Abdul Akbar." John Andrew had never before seen a Princess; he gazed at her fascinated. "Aren't you going to give me a kiss?" He walked over to her and she kissed him on the mouth. "Oh," he said, recoiling and rubbing away the taste of the lipstick; and then "What a beautiful smell." "It's my last link with the East," she said. "You've got butter on your chin." She reached for her bag, laughing. "Why so I have. Teddy, you might have told me." "Why do you call daddy, Teddy?" "Because I hope we are going to be great friends." "What a. funny reason." John stayed with them for an hour and all the time watched her fascinated. "Have you got a crown?" he asked. "How did you learn to speak English? What is that big ring made of? Did it cost much? Why are your nails that colour? Can you ride?" She answered all his questions, sometimes enigmatically with an eye on Tony. She took out a little heavily scented handkerchief and showed John the monogram. "That is my only crown... now," she said. She told him about the horses she used to have-glossy black, with arched necks; foam round their silver bits; plumes tossing on their foreheads; silver studs on the harness, crimson saddle cloths, "On the Moulay's birthday-"
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