erjected, with a

[lucre]

Mesteth Bey
to me

E group. And of course, as it’s the
first time, she’s a little excited at having the
older set.“ ”The older set? Our contemporaries, you mean?“ ”Why--yes.“
Miss Suffern paused as if to gather herself up for a leap. ”The

Ashton Gileses,“ she brought out. ”The Ashton Gileses? Really? I shall
be glad to see Mary Giles again. It must be eighteen years,“ said Mrs.
Lidcote steadily. ”Yes,“ Miss Suffern

gasped, precipitately refilling her cup. ”The Ashton Gileses; and who
else?“ ”Well, the Sam Fresbies. But the most important
person, of course, is Mrs. Lorin Boulger.“ ”Mrs. Boulger? Leila didn’t
tell me she was coming.“ ”Didn’t she? I suppose she forgot everything

when she saw you. But the party was got up for Mrs. Boulger.
You see, it’s very important that she
should--well, take a fancy to Leila and Wilbour; his being appointed to
Rome virtually depends on it. And you know Leila insists on Rome in
order to be near you. So she asked Mary Giles, who’s intimate with the

Boulgers, if the visit couldn’t possibly be arranged; and Mary’s cable
caught Mrs. Boulger
at Cherbourg. She’s to be only a fortnight in
America; and getting her to come directly here was rather a triumph.“
”Yes;

I see it was,“ said Mrs. Lidcote. ”You know, she’s rather--rather
fussy; and

Mary was a little doubtful if--“ ”If she would, on account of Leila?“
Mrs. Lidcote murmured. ”Well, yes. In