How you put up with some of these ghastly females I can’t imagine. If it were me I should lose my temper and tell them to go and boil their heads.”

Sally laughed. “I’d like to see the water afterwards: it would be a funny colour in some cases.”

“Talking of that, how about the Greig woman?” Ruth glanced at her watch. “Didn’t she make an appointment for eleven-thirty?”

“She did, but she’s sure to be half an hour late. If one’s absolutely dripping with money—”

“Sh! Here is the creature! At least, that looks like her car.”

A glittering limousine had come to a halt outside, and a moment or so later its owner, an expensively dressed, middle-aged lady, drifted vaguely into the shop. She was heavily made up and her hair looked as though it had been dyed in orange juice.

“Good morning, Mrs. Greig. How delightful to see you again!” With a dazzling smile Sally moved gracefully forward. “Until I got your note I thought you were still up in Scotland.”

“We came back last week.” The visitor sank languidly into a chair, and producing a slim platinum case, extracted a gold-tipped cigarette.

“Can you find me a match, my dear? Thanks terribly.”

“Did you have a good time?”

“Positively loathsome.” Mrs. Greig gave a faint shudder. “No one in the place seemed to be able to talk about anything except killing birds. My husband, of course, was enraptured. He adores shedding blood.”

“Most men are like that.” Sally nodded sympathetically. “It must have been very trying for you, though, with your artistic and sensitive temperament.”

“Absolutely devastating. If I had stayed there another week I should have passed out from sheer boredom.” The speaker shuddered again. “What I need is a spiritual tonic. I am thinking of redecorating the drawing-room.”

“What an inspiration, and how typical of the true artist!” Sally clasped her hands admiringly.

“I thought that we might work out something in collaboration. I was very pleased with the room which you did for Lady Jocelyn. It struck me as having soul and imagination.”

“That cheers me up tremendously. It’s so encouraging to be appreciated by anyone who has real taste and understanding.”

Ruth, who was seated behind the visitor’s back, made a vulgar gesture with her fingers.

“Have you an idea for any particular colour-scheme?” pursued Sally hastily. “I always feel that one should start from that and then build up stage by stage until one gets a complete and harmonious picture.”

“Yes, I know what I want.” Mrs. Greig closed her eyes. “A warm, slightly golden effect—something that suggests sunshine and happiness.”

“But how wonderful!” Sally paused as though overcome by the brilliance of the conception. “You know, if you had left it entirely to me, that’s just what I should have chosen myself. I feel that for a personality like yours it would be the absolutely ideal background.”

“It is the only atmosphere in which my soul can really expand.” Mrs. Greig sighed delicately. “You have seen the room, of course, but you must come round to-morrow and we will go into the whole question together. Four o’clock would be a convenient time. I like to rest and meditate for an hour or so in the afternoon.”

“That will be quite thrilling.” Sally picked up a notebook from the desk and jotted down the appointment. “In the meantime I will see if I can make some sketches and bring them along with me.