"Soho?" repeated Aunt Juley; "Soho?"
'That'll go round the family,' thought Soames.
"It's very French, and interesting," he said.
"Yes," murmured Aunt Juley, "your Uncle Roger had some houses there
once; he was always having to turn the tenants out, I remember."
Soames changed the subject to Mapledurham.
"Of course," said Aunt Juley, "you will be going down there soon to
settle in. We are all so looking forward to the time when Annette has a
dear little...."
"Juley!" cried Aunt Hester desperately, "ring tea!"
Soames dared not wait for tea, and took Annette away.
"I shouldn't mention Soho if I were you," he said in the cab. "It's
rather a shady part of London; and you're altogether above that
restaurant business now; I mean," he added, "I want you to know nice
people, and the English are fearful snobs."
Annette's clear eyes opened; a little smile came on her lips.
"Yes?" she said.
'H'm!' thought Soames, 'that's meant for me!' and he looked at her hard.
'She's got good business instincts,' he thought. 'I must make her grasp
it once for all!'
"Look here, Annette! it's very simple, only it wants understanding. Our
professional and leisured classes still think themselves a cut above our
business classes, except of course the very rich. It may be stupid, but
there it is, you see. It isn't advisable in England to let people know
that you ran a restaurant or kept a shop or were in any kind of trade.
It may have been extremely creditable, but it puts a sort of label on
you; you don't have such a good time, or meet such nice people--that's
all."
"I see," said Annette; "it is the same in France."
"Oh!" murmured Soames, at once relieved and taken aback. "Of course,
class is everything, really."
"Yes," said Annette; "comme vous etes sage."
'That's all right,' thought Soames, watching her lips, 'only she's
pretty cynical.' His knowledge of French was not yet such as to make
him grieve that she had not said 'tu.' He slipped his arm round her, and
murmured with an effort:
"Et vous etes ma belle femme."
Annette went off into a little fit of laughter.
"Oh, non!" she said. "Oh, non! ne parlez pas Francais, Soames. What is
that old lady, your aunt, looking forward to?"
Soames bit his lip. "God knows!" he said; "she's always saying
something;" but he knew better than God.