Therefore, when Uncle Matthew told her to write and say he could not have either Lettice or Pamela, she was overjoyed to do so. It did not strike her that it was a good opportunity to score off the Hector Grants, and she wrote so simply that her letter gave the impression of a security that irritated her relations much more than an attempt on her side to be clever. "She's perfectly sure of herself," Lady Grant gasped. "She's wormed herself in." "I always thought she was deeper than she pretended," Cousin Edith said with a shake of her head. "Do you remember, May, I said to you once: 'Still waters run deep'? Only of course she wasn't still. She was never still really. She was always jumping up and...." "Oh, for heaven's sake, Edith, don't babble on like that!" Sir Hector interrupted. "Eighty pounds for these robes, my dear. That's a nice sum to pay for a morning's masquerade." "Little beast," said Pamela loudly. "I detested her from the first. By the way, I saw the Vibart youth at the Grave-Smiths' dance last night. I didn't say anything about it at the time, because I was afraid that Lettice might be upset." "Me upset?" Lettice exclaimed angrily. "Why should I have been upset?" "Now, please, darlings, don't quarrel," their mother begged. "This is not the moment to quarrel among ourselves." "I say, I've got rather a notion," Pamela announced. "Why shouldn't we ask the Vibart youth here and tell him where dear Cousin Jasmine is to be found? _That_ would annoy Uncle Matthew." "What would annoy Uncle Matthew?" asked Lettice scornfully. "Sorry you still can't bear the thought of your beloved's treachery," said Pamela with a malicious affectation of sympathy. "But if you could calm your beating heart for the sake of the family, you'd see what I meant." "If Pamela thinks she can say what she likes to me just because...." "Now hush, darling. Don't lose your temper, my pet. I see what Pamela means," interposed Lady Grant soothingly. "You always take Pamela's side." "Now, my darling, I must entreat you not to argue so absurdly." "I should have thought it would have been obvious to the meanest intelligence," said Pamela with lofty sarcasm. "Oh, would you, cleversticks?" her sister sneered. "Obvious to anybody that if the Vibart youth hangs round Uncle Matthew's, Uncle Matthew will think twice of being so fond of our sweet cousin." "Pamela, you're a genius," her mother declared proudly. "Oh, she is, she is!" cried Cousin Edith, clapping her hands with excitement, for the scheme appealed to the innate procuress within her. "I should never have thought of anything half as clever. She's a...." "Edith," her own rich cousin interposed, "I wish you wouldn't be quite so enthusiastic."