Unseemly but sympathetic laughter greeted this announcement, and Mrs. Welwyn was made the recipient of several congratulatory thumps from her son and younger daughter. "I wasn’t quite sure whether it was Bedfordshire or Cambridgeshire," continued Tilly. "Where is Hitchin, anyway?" "Hertfordshire," replied Amelia, and every one laughed again. They had all things in common, the Welwyns, especially their jokes. "Then," Tilly proceeded, "I told them a lovely fairy-tale about our old town house. Been in the family for generations, and so on." "So it has," said Mr. Welwyn. "And I also told them," continued the unfilial Tilly, "that Dad was a bit of an antique himself, and could n’t bear to move. Has his roots in the cellar, so to speak. You don’t mind, do you, dear?" she enquired eagerly. "My child," replied Mr. Welwyn, "I feel proud to have figured as one of your assets." "And finally," concluded Tilly, "as I began to warm up to my work a bit, I added a few things, looking as sweet as anything all the time--like this!" (Here she treated her enraptured audience to a very creditable reproduction of Sylvia Mainwaring’s languid and superior smile.) "I chatted about our billiard-room, and our old family butler, and our motor, and so on. I am afraid I lost my head a bit. I have a notion that I gave them to understand that we went yachting in the summer!" There was more laughter, but Mrs. Welwyn added anxiously:-- "You did n’t mention anything about Southend, did you, dearie?" "Not me!" said Tilly; "though I was feeling utterly reckless by that time. For two pins I would have told them that I had been presented at Court!" She rose to her feet. "That is all I have to say," she announced. "I just mention these little facts to you so that when the Mainwarings come to tea this afternoon you may know what to talk about. See?" The other members of the conference, avoiding the eager eye of the chairwoman, began to regard one another uneasily. Then Percy said:-- "Tilly, old girl, you’ve landed us with a bit of a shipping order, ain’t you?" Tilly nodded. "You are right," she said. "But it will only be for an afternoon. We need not invite them again." But Percy, who was an honest youth, although he wore a dickey, hesitated. "How about the gallant Ricardo?" he enquired. "What’s his position in this glee-party? Is he with us or them?" "Oh--Dicky?" said Tilly, with less confidence. "I have been quite square with him. I have told him everything." "Everything?" enquired several people at once.