Laughing Torso

LAUGHING TORSO

would spread themselves round the drawing-room,
drink the drinks, read the newspapers, and smoke
cigarettes. Our rooms always gave me a strange,
creepy feeling. One evening I decided to go to bed
early and went to my room about nine-thirty.
Some hours later I woke up and found myself star-
ing at the window, which was a part of the con-
servatory. I was so terrified that the whole bed
shook and it was some minutes before I could turn
on the light. I opened the door of my friend's room
and saw that she was sound asleep. I thought that
there were probably burglars, as she had some
valuable jewellery. I did not think any more about
this until the day we left, and on our way to catch
the train at Antibes for Paris, a Russian lady, who
had been a member of the house-party, said, " Oh,
you know your house was haunted and the last
people had to leave? " I had cold shivers down my
back. I suppose that at some time something awful
must have taken place in the house. I hear that
now it has been turned into a restaurant, as no one
would live in it.
F. and R. were staying at Nice and came over
to see us often. Sir Hugo de Bathe was at Antibes
and came over too. At an enormous house in
Juan itself lived the Hudnuts. Mr. Hudnut's
daughter had married Rudolph Valentino. Sir
Hugo knew them and one day they asked him if he
would bring his friends to tea, meaning all of us.
Half the party were thrilled but the other half were
too lazy and comfortable at home to move. As
most of our party were poor ajid the Hudiiuts were
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