“Of course we will—she is longing to see you; still, asking her to dine will not be doing anything for her.” “But it will please her very much; she likes being treated with respect,” Walter laughed. “Let’s send her a formal invitation. You see these people she is with evidently like her and may give her a hundred or two a year, quite as much as she wants, so that all we can do is to show her some attention. Therefore, I repeat, let’s ask her to dine.” “It’s so like a man’s suggestion,” Florence exclaimed; “but still, we’ll do it if you like. She wants to see you. Of course she may not be able to come if her time is not her own.” “We must risk that—I’ll tell you what, Floggie dear, ask her for next Thursday, with Fisher and Wimple and Ethel Dunlop. She’ll make the number up to six, which will be better than five. It will please her enormously to be asked to meet people—in your invitation say a small dinner-party.” “Very well. It will be a comfort if she takes Mr. Wimple off our hands. Perhaps she will.” So a quite formal invitation was sent to Aunt Anne, and her reply awaited with much anxiety. It came the next morning, and ran thus: “MY DEAR FLORENCE, “It gives me sincere pleasure to accept the invitation that you and your dear Walter have sent me for next Thursday. It is long since I went into society, except in this house, where it is a matter of duty. But, for your sakes, dears, I will put aside my sorrow for the evening, and try to enjoy, as I ought, the pleasure of seeing you both, and of meeting those whom you honour with your friendship. “In the happiness and excitement of seeing you the other day, dear Florence, I forgot to mention one object of my visit. It is most important to me in my present unfortunate position to hide my poverty and to preserve an appearance that will prevent me from being slighted in the society in which—sorely against my will—I am thrown. Will you, therefore, my dear ones, send me a black satin sunshade, plain but good, lined with black in preference to white, and with a handle sufficiently distinctive to prevent its being mistaken for another person’s if it is left in the hall when I am paying visits? There are many other things I require, but I do not like to tax your kindness too far, or, knowing your generous hearts, to cause you disquiet even by naming them. At the same time, dear Florence, I am sure you will understand my embarrassment when I tell you I only possess four pocket-handkerchiefs fit to use in a house like this. If you have any lying by you with a deep black border, and would lend them to me till you require them, it would be a real boon. “Kiss your sweet children for me. I sent them yesterday a little token that I did not cease to think of you all as soon as I had left your presence—as the world is only too prone to do.