Lady Tanagra noticed with pleasure that the mood seemed to be dropping from her. "Well, may I be the physician for to-day?" continued Lady Tanagra. Patricia nodded her head. "Very well, then, I prescribe a dinner this evening with one Tanagra Bowen, Peter Bowen and Godfrey Elton, on the principle of 'Eat thou and drink, to-morrow thou shalt die.'" "Who is Godfrey Elton?" asked Patricia with interest. "My dear Patricia, if I were to start endeavouring to describe Godfrey we should be at it for hours. You can't describe Godfrey, you can only absorb him. He is a sort of wise youth rapidly approaching childhood." "What on earth do you mean?" cried Patricia, laughing. "You will discover for yourself later. We are all dining at the Quadrant to-night at eight." "Dining at the Quadrant?" repeated Patricia in amazement. "Yes, and I have to get home to dress and you have to dress and I will pick you up in a taxi at a quarter to eight." "But--but--Peter--your brother said that he was coming----" "Peter has greater faith in his sister than in himself, he therefore took me into his confidence and I am his emissary." "Oh, you Bowens, you Bowens!" moaned Patricia in mock despair. "There is no avoiding us, I confess," said Lady Tanagra gaily. "Now I must tell you about your charming aunt. She called upon mother yesterday." "What!" gasped Patricia. "She called at Grosvenor Square and announced to poor, un-understanding mother that she thought the families ought to know one another. But she got rather badly shocked by Godfrey and one of the soldier boys, whom we call 'Uncle,' and left with the firm conviction that our circle is a pernicious one." "It's--it's--perfectly scandalous!" cried Patricia. "No, it's not as bad as that," said Lady Tanagra calmly. "What?" began Patricia. "Oh! I mean Aunt Adelaide's conduct, it's humiliating, it's----" "Wait until you hear," said Lady Tanagra with a smile. "When Peter ran in to see mother, she said that she had had a call from a Miss Brent and could he place her. So poor old Peter blurts out that he's going to marry Miss Brent. Poor mother nearly had a fit on the spot. She was too tactful to express her disapproval; but she showed it in her amazement. The result was that Peter was deeply hurt and left the room and the house. I am the only one who saw the exquisite humour of the joke. My poor darling mother had the impression that Peter has gone clean off his head and wanted to marry your most excellent Aunt Adelaide," and Lady Tanagra laughed gaily. For a moment Patricia gazed at her blankly, then as she visualised Aunt Adelaide and Bowen side by side at the altar she laughed hysterically.