LITTLE ELLA
147
‘ I wonder if you would care to sell me that chair ? ’ said Bender presently. ‘ I do like it, and I know that only a woman of taste could have chosen such a chair. Do sell it to me. I will give you seven roubles for it.’ ' Oho ! ’ said Ella slyly. ‘ I shall have to use the method of exchange with her,’ thought Bender. ‘ Do you know that in Europe and in the best houses of Philadelphia they have revived the oldfashioned habit of pouring out tea through a strainer ? It is extraordinarily effective and most elegant.’ Ella was immediately interested. ‘ One of my friends, a diplomat, has just arrived from Vienna and has brought me one as a present. It is a nice little thing.’ ' It must be marvellous I ’ said EUa. ‘ Shall we exchange ? You give me the chair and I’ll give you the tea-strainer. How would you like that ? ’ Bender took the gilt tea-strainer out of his pocket, and as the sun shone down on to the strainer, Ella was tremendously impressed. Presently she said quietly: ‘ Ho ! Ho ! ’ Without giving her time to change her mind. Bender put the tea-strainer down on the table, asked for her husband’s address, which she gave him, bowed most gallantly to the charming lady and ran downstairs with the chair.
