'Oh, Bruce, are you going to tell me everything you never dreamt? We shall take weeks getting to the point.' 'Don't be absurd. I'll get to the point at once then. Look here; I think we ought to give a dinner for Madame Frabelle!' 'Oh, is that all? Of course! I've been wondering that you didn't wish to do it long before now.' 'Have you? I'll tell you why. Thinking Madame Frabelle was a pal, er--a friend--of the Conroys, it stood to reason, don't you see, that she knew everyone in London; or could, if she liked--everyone worth knowing, I mean. Under these circumstances there was no point in--well--in showing off our friends to her. But I found out, only last night'--he lowered his voice--'what do you think? She isn't an intimate friend of Lady Conroy's at all! She only made her acquaintance in the drawing-room of the Royal Hotel two days before she came to London!' Edith laughed. 'How delightful! Then why on earth did Lady Conroy send her to us with a letter of introduction? Why just us?' 'Because she likes you. Besides, it's just like her, isn't it? And she never said she had known her all her life. We jumped to that conclusion. It was our own idea.' 'And how did you find it out?' 'Why, when you went up to the children and left me alone with Madame Frabelle yesterday evening, she told me herself; perfectly frankly, in her usual way. She's always like that, so frank and open. Besides, she hadn't the slightest idea we didn't know it.' 'I hope you didn't let her think--' Edith began. 'Edith! As if I would! Well, that being so'--he lit another cigarette--'and under the circumstances, I want to ask some people to meet her. See?' 'She seems very happy with us alone, doesn't she? Not as if she cared much for going out.' 'Yes, I know; that's all very well. But I don't want her to think we don't know anyone. And it seems a bit selfish, too, keeping her all to ourselves like this.' 'Who do you want her to meet, dear?' 'I want her to meet the Mitchells,' said Bruce. 'It's only a chance, of course, that she hasn't met them already here, and I've told Mitchell at the Foreign Office a good deal about her. He's very keen to know her. Very keen indeed,' he added thoughtfully. 'And then the Mitchells will ask her to their house, of course?' 'I know they will,' said Bruce, rather jealously. 'Well, I shan't mind her going there--once or twice--it's a very pleasant house, you know, Edith. And she likes celebrities, and clever people, and that sort of thing.' 'Mrs Mitchell will count her as one, no doubt.' 'I daresay! What does that matter? So she is.' 'I know she is, in a way; but, Bruce, don't you wonder why she stays here so long? I mean, there's no question of its not being for--well, for, say, interested reasons. I happen to know for a fact that she has a far larger income for herself alone than we have altogether. She showed me her bank-book one day.' 'Why?'