We said that we had enjoyed it very much, and Mrs. Kendal added that the only thing she regretted was that the Kendal family had not been able to get seats all together. It being impossible to remove this blot on the evening, her complaint was received in silence by us all. Then Lady Annabel came out, bowing in an indiscriminate sort of way, and saying, “Thank you--thank you so much,” to anyone who accidentally stood in her way. “Quite a success, wasn’t it?” she asked us, and we all said at once that it had been a great success, and Nancy congratulated her. “It entails a good deal of work, getting up this sort of thing and it is all so different when one cannot delegate part of the work to the A. D. C.s,” said Lady Annabel. If the rector of Cross Loman kept a curate, I feel convinced that Lady Annabel would speak of him as “the A. D. C.” or perhaps “the P. S.” “I hope you will have made a good deal of money,” said Mrs. Fazackerly. “I always think it’s wonderful, the way in which people here are always ready to spend money.” “We must try and get up something else one of these days,” said Lady Annabel with vague graciousness. “Perhaps for the King’s birthday. Good-night--good-night. Thank you so much. So glad you were able to come--” Until Lady Annabel came to the rectory, Cross Loman, although entirely loyal, had never been in the habit of concerning itself with the King’s birthday. But we know better, now. “Do you have a birthday ball at the rectory?” asked Christopher, grinning. “I wish we did,” said Sallie. “Couldn’t we have a dance? Oh, Cousin Miles, the Manor House would be the place for it.” I looked at Claire. “I should like to arrange something of that sort,” she said, thoughtfully, and I knew that it was in her mind to show Lady Annabel Bending that Government Houses are not the only places where these things can be done. “Come up to tea on Sunday and let’s talk about it,” I suggested, and Claire extended the invitation to Nancy Fazackerly and to Captain Patch. We took Mary and Sallie back to the Mill House in the car, and I remember that Christopher Ambrey began to ask about Mrs. Fazackerly. Of course Sallie told him instantly that her husband used to throw plates at her head. “What a hound the fellow must have been!” “She shouldn’t have married him,” said Sallie. “Though I believe she only did it to get away from her father. If people are mad enough to bind themselves by those preposterous vows, what can you expect?” “Preposterous vows?” said Christopher, surprised. “Don’t you call the marriage service preposterous?” returned Sallie, equally surprised. “No,” said Christopher, stoutly, “I don’t. I suppose I am old-fashioned. I like the Prayer Book, and songs with tunes to them, and pictures that tell a story you can understand, and--and Christmas carols.” “Well done!” said I. “Talking about songs with tunes,” Mary asked, “what did you think of Mrs. Harter, Miles?”