'Your question is a little vague, Mr. Blake; I hardly know what I am to understand by it. Do you mean evening dress for one dinner-party or a succession of dinner-parties? You know they are perpetual in Rutherford; every house invites every other house to dinner. In Rutherford we are terribly given to dining out.' 'Oh, I see; and relays of gowns would be required,' returned Cyril in a dejected voice. 'I am afraid I must give it up, then. My mother would certainly not be able to afford that for the present.' 'But when one wears black, a change of dress is not so necessary,' interrupted Audrey eagerly. 'If I were poor, I should not allow poverty to debar me from the society of my fellow-creatures, just because I could not make as great a display as other people. No, indeed; I would not be the slave of my clothes.' 'I can believe that,' with an admiring glance. 'I would have one good black dress--and it should be as nice as my means would allow--and I would wear it everywhere, and I would not care a bit if people looked as though they recognised it. "You are noticing my gown!" I would say to them. "Yes, it is an old friend. Old friends are better than new, and I mean to cling to mine. By and by, when I am a little richer, I will buy another."' 'Miss Ross, if my mother could but hear you!' 'Tell her what I say, and bid her do the same. Black suits her so perfectly, too.' 'Oh, she never means to wear anything else but black,' he returned gravely. 'Let her get a soft silk--a Surah, for example--and if it be made prettily and in the newest fashion, it will look well for a long time. Yes'--reflectively--'Mrs. Blake would look well in Surah.' 'Would she? Do you mind telling me how to spell it?' and Cyril produced his pocket-book. 'S-u-r-a-h.' 'Thank you a thousand times, Miss Ross! And about the cost--would five pounds do?' looking at her anxiously. 'Oh yes, I should say that would do,' replied Audrey, who in reality knew very little about it. Mr. Blake would have done better to have consulted Geraldine, she thought. Geraldine would have told him the price to a fraction of a shilling; she would have directed him to the best shop for making an excellent bargain. Geraldine had a genius for these practical things, whereas she--Audrey--was liable to make mistakes. 'I am sure five pounds will do,' she repeated, by way of encouragement; and again Cyril thanked her fervently. There was no more opportunity for carrying on this interesting discussion, for the others were now standing quite still in the shrubbery walk, waiting for them to join them. 'My dearest boy, everyone has gone!' exclaimed Mrs. Blake, in a tone of dismay. 'The tennis-lawn is empty!' 'What does that matter?' replied Audrey, hastening up to her with a heightened colour, as she noticed a quick, observant look on Michael's part. 'We have no rule for our Mondays; people come when they like, and stay as long as they like.'