Coast of Bohemia Chapter 19

In which the genteel company gathers around Mrs. Maybough’s tea, where Charmian adopts the solemn guise of an Egyptian slave and Cornelia observes the mingling of artful personalities, including the urbane Mr. Plaisdell and the imposing Ludlow, whose acquaintance intriguingly disrupts the quiet afternoon. The subtle interplay of admiration and reserve among the guests is rendered with a delicate attention to the small social gestures and the undercurrents of esteem that brighten the evening’s gathering.