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Tunstell still looked starry-eyed and unrelenting

Lady Maccon sighed "Very well, I see you are un"

Miss Hisselpenny was coping by engaging in a protracted bout of hysteria in one corner of the observation deck

"Oh, Alexia, what am I to do? I am overcome with the injustice of it all"

Lady Maccon replied with a suggestion "Seek the assistance of an ugly-hat-addiction specialist this very instant?"

"You are horrible Be serious, Alexia You nize that this is a travesty of unfairness!"

"How is that?" Lady Maccon did not follow

"I love hiurtha, as Pyramid did Thirsty, as--"

"Oh, please, no need to elaborate further," interjected Alexia, wincing

"But ould my family say to such a union?"

"They would say that your hats had leaked into you head," muttered Alexia, unheard under her breath

Ivy continued wailing "What would they do? I should have to break off h He would be so very upset" She paused, and then gasped in horror "There would have to be a printed retraction!"

"Ivy, I do not think that is the best course of action, throwing Captain Featherstonehaugh over Not that I have o fro military man to an actor? I aarded as reprehensible and even indicative of"--she paused for dramatic effect--"loose asp and stopped crying "You truly believe so?"

Lady Maccon went in for the kill "Even, dare I say it, fastness?"

Ivy gasped again "Oh no, Alexia, say not so Truly? To be thought such a thing How absolutely grisly Oh what a pickle I am in I suppose I shall have to throw over Mr Tunstell"

"To be fair," admitted Lady Maccon, "Tunstell has confessed openly to appreciating your choice of headgear Youup on true love"

"I know Is that not si you have ever heard, ever?"

Lady Maccon nodded, all seriousness "Yes"

Ivy sighed, looking forlorn To distract her, Alexia asked casually, "You did not perchance hear anything unusual last night after supper, did you?"

"No, I did not"

Alexia was relieved She did not want to explain to Ivy the fight on the observation deck

"Wait, co a coil of black hair about one finger

Uh-oh "What was that?"

"You know, it was a --just before I drifted off to sleep, I heard so, "What did they say?"

"Do not be absurd, Alexia You know perfectly well I do not speak French Such a nasty slippery sort of language"

Lady Maccon considered

"It could have been Madaested "You know she has the cabin next to mine?"

"I suppose that is possible" Alexia was not convinced

Ivy took a deep breath "Well, I should get on with it, then"

"On hat?"

"Throwing over poor Mr Tunstell, possibly the love ofman had moments earlier

Alexia nodded "Yes, I think you better had"

Tunstell, in grand thespian fashion, did not take Miss Hisselpenny’s rejection well He staged a spectacular bout of depression and then sank into a deep sulk for the rest of the day Overwrought, Ivy ca to Alexia "But he has been so very dour And for a whole three hours Could I not relent, just a little? He may never recover from this kind of heartache"

To which Alexia replied, "Give it more time, my dear Ivy I think you will find he may recuperate eventually"

Mada Miss Hisselpenny’s crestfallen face, she inquired, "Has so untoward occurred?"

Ivy let out a pathetic little sob and buried her face in a rose-silk handkerchief

Alexia said in a hushed voice, "Miss Hisselpenny has had to reject Mr Tunstell She is ht"

Madame Lefoux’s face took on an appropriately sohastly for you"

Ivy waved the wet handkerchief, as much as to say, words cannot possibly articulate my profound distress Then, because Ivy never settled for estures when verbal embellishments could compound the effect, she said, "Words cannot possibly articulate my profound distress"

Alexia patted her friend’s shoulder Then she turned to the Frenchwo a small word in private?"

"I a" Alexia failed to exa"