PAMELA POUNCE _WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR_ THE INCOMPARABLE BELLAIRS JOHN SENESCHAL’S MARGARET THE PRIDE OF JENNICO, ETC. _HODDER AND STOUGHTON LIMITED_ PAMELA POUNCE A TALE OF TEMPESTUOUS PETTICOATS BY AGNES & EGERTON CASTLE HODDER AND STOUGHTON LTD. TORONTO LONDON NEW YORK ST. PAUL’S HOUSE WARWICK SQUARE E.C.4 CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE ix PROLOGUE xiii CHAPTER I HOW MY LADY KILCRONEY ENTERED INTO ROYAL SERVICE UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ITALIAN HAT TRIMMED BY MISS PAMELA POUNCE 17 CHAPTER II IN WHICH MISS PAMELA POUNCE IS ORDERED TO PACK 47 CHAPTER III IN WHICH MISS PAMELA POUNCE, THE MILLINER’S ASSISTANT, BECOMES ARBITER OF LIFE AND DEATH IN HIGH SOCIETY 58 CHAPTER IV SHOWING STORM WITHIN AND WITHOUT 79 CHAPTER V IN WHICH MISS PAMELA POUNCE DEMONSTRATES THE VALUE OF VIRTUE TO HER FAMILY AND HER FRIENDS 106 CHAPTER VI IN WHICH MY LADY KILCRONEY STRIKES A MATCH AND MISS POUNCE THROWS COLD WATER ON IT 131 CHAPTER VII IN WHICH IS MANIFEST THE HAND OF THE SAINTED JULIA 152 CHAPTER VIII IN WHICH A WONDERFUL BIT OF LUCK COMES OUT OF MISS POUNCE’S BANDBOX FOR SOMEBODY ELSE 162 CHAPTER IX IN WHICH MISS PAMELA POUNCE HAS DONE WITH LOVE 187 CHAPTER X IN WHICH MISS PAMELA POUNCE SETS THREE BLACK FEATHERS FOR TRAGEDY 202 CHAPTER XI IN WHICH THERE IS A PRODIGIOUS SCANDAL ABOUT PINK FLOUNCES 227 CHAPTER XII IN WHICH MY LADY KILCRONEY INSISTS ON THE DUTY OF MORALITY 238 CHAPTER XIII IN WHICH MY LADY KILCRONEY MAKES AN INDELICATE FUSS 254 CHAPTER XIV IN WHICH KITTY IS MORE INCOMPARABLE THAN EVER 274 CHAPTER XV IN WHICH THE MAD BRAT TAKES THE BIT BETWEEN HER TEETH, BUT MISS PAMELA POUNCE KEEPS HOLD OF THE REINS 285 CHAPTER XVI IN WHICH MY LADY KILCRONEY HAS THE LAST WORD 313 PREFACE There can be no doubt that shedding her petticoats a woman has shed much, if not all, of her femininity, till she is now merely a person of an opposite sex. She is a female; for nothing will ever make her a man, but Woman (with a capital W), Woman with her charm, her elusiveness, her mystery, her reserves, her virginal withdrawals, her exquisite yieldings; she is that no longer.