CHAPTER 4
The Men Who Came to Dinner
The Friends of Literature of Zurich, who composed the weekend guests at the Turrets, were not an inspiring group.
Six men in austere suits and two women in coats and skirts, each a conscious essay in mediocrity, had arrived in hired cars at four o’clock in the afternoon. Despite Perdita’s blandishments and the professional skill of her welcome, which was handsomely garnished by two maids in caps and aprons supervised by the new Burbage himself, they refused tea and retired directly to their rooms, scarcely speaking a word and showing a remarkable lack of interest in their surroundings. Perdita beckoned Rupert from the upper hall and they retreated together into the privacy of the butler’s pantry.
“A terrible gaggle of drones,” she said. “Not a smile
