At four she was ready in a slippery creation of black with no arms to it but it was not an evening dress, and a nose veil bedangling from a ravished shapoo woven of the hares of horses. “Let us sally” said she, gazing at him and he gazed at her with pride for she looked very much better. “You are a treat” he said gallantly so they went down thro’ the hall which was worse than ever with a dense crowd more staring than ever to behold them, and out into their blue car en route for the Countess tea. When they got there it was a little house but smart done up in black and white paint with orange stuff for curtains, and lobellia in boxes round the windows and two marbel statues of little boys before the door, and they both had curly hair. The chauffeur rang the bell. How different it was to when both had been poor. They felt it. They strode within into a hall with bead curtains and thro’ to a room at whose door stood the Countess herself with welcoming hand. Mr. Withersq had a bit of trouble to get his hat off in time. “Ah good afternoon, how sweet of you to come” cried their hostess. “Not at all” Selia said “we were only too pleased to visit you.” And they went into the room. There was a lot of folks there eating off plates in their laps and all murmured and gazed to see the heroes of the hour enter, so Selia and Mr. Withersq sat down and had some plates passed to them and stretched out for what food they could find lying about. Near by Mr. Withersq sat a youngish lady with plentiful ginger hair and robed in violet with out-shooting lips and an ernest apperence. “Do tell me” she burbled in a rich voice “how you write such beautiful poems?” But Mr. Withersq who had just tucked a cress sandwich in his mouth could not say much only growling in reply at which no one seemed cross but all present cooed and moaned, saying “Ah how simple he is” and “How true” for it was very much like the first party and “How true” was still the fashion, like red hats sometimes appear and are worn awhile and then drop out. “He had poetry in him all the while” said Selia “but it did not come out.” So now the Countess came to sit beside her, and pawed at her hand in love. “Do you think the great man would come to my little riverside home one day” uttered she, “do please dear lady beg darling Mr. Withersq to come down to my little party at Maidenhead next week. There will not be much to entertain in fact we have only got two funny people coming at present but we have an excellent gramafone and perhaps the boats would give him some new idears.” All listened. Many of the ladys were chewing on strings of coloured beads hung about their necks and their ears waved for the answer. “Have you got any Harry Lauders” said Selia for fun “for he is very partial to them.” Her Harold was making warning faces to her but she would not heed. Oh what an error. You could hear the brick drop. But the Countess had tact to give a little snickering laugh.