Comic-strip magician

Usage examples of mandrake.

Hart glared at them, which he did repeatedly, Nicholas bent towards Madame Lisse and uttered a loud and unconvincing laugh calculated, Mandrake supposed, to show Dr.

Madame Lisse began to talk to Mandrake about his plays, Jonathan chimed in, and once again the situation was saved.

Aubrey Mandrake was a poetic dramatist and his real name was Stanley Footling.

So he became Aubrey Mandrake, influenced in his choice by such names as Sebastian Melmoth, Aubrey Beardsley, and Peter Warlock.

But in William Compline with his dullish appearance, his devotion to his mother, his dubious triumph over his brother, Mandrake hoped to find matter for his art.

When Jonathan introduced them, Mandrake was illogically surprised at her composure.

It was a question that for some reason infuriated Mandrake, but he answered with alarming politeness that it was not a war play but an experiment in two-dimensional formulism.

She talked about him at great length, and Mandrake wondered if he only imagined there was a sort of defiance in her insistence on this awkward theme.

He came in, smiling, missed his brother and Miss Wynne, who were still in the window, shook hands with Jonathan, was introduced to Mandrake, and, on seeing his mother, looked surprised but greeted her charmingly.

She pointed to something outside, but Mandrake felt certain the gesture was a bluff and that they were discussing hurriedly the arrival of Nicholas.

Neither of them paid the smallest attention to him but Mandrake thought that Nicholas was very well aware of his brother.

Jonathan proposed a brisk walk and Mandrake, knowing his host shared his own loathing for this sort of exercise, grinned to himself.

Chloris Wynne, who had evidently decided to like her host, cried out in admiration, and Mandrake, who had decided to like Chloris Wynne, echoed her.

At the last moment Jonathan remembered an important telephone message and asked Mandrake to see the walking party off.

It would look very Rex Whistlerish, Mandrake said, and would have just the right air of formalized gaiety.