"Oh, Boy," she cried, "it was so funny. I'm sure they took me for somebody else. There was a lovely big room all ready and everybody kept bowing and calling me 'my lady.' They couldn't understand my connection with the others at first and when they asked about the car, and I said it had gone back to Fallow, they nearly fainted. They were going to make out my bill separately, too, only Berry--" "And you didn't enlighten them?" "I couldn't make out what was wrong till I was undressing." "And the real one never turned up?" "I don't think she can have. The landlord stammered something about 'your ladyship,' as I said 'Good-bye.'" "How strange," said I. Jill chattered on all the way to Fallow. Fortunately I remembered to tell her about the new chambermaid. I was rather uneasy about the girl, as a matter of fact. She must have seen Eve properly. But my luck was holding, for on our arrival we found that Susan had returned. The following day, January the second, after breakfast, a wire for Jonah arrived. When he had read it: "That's curious," he said. "I wonder how he knew we were here?" "Who's it from?" said Jill. "Harry Fairie, the man I met at Pau last Easter. Wants us to go over to his place in Somerset before we go back to town." "All of us?" "Apparently. 'You and party,' the wire says." "I believe I met his sister once," said I. "You wouldn't forget her if you had," said Jonah. "She's a wonderful creature. Eyes like stars." "Where did you meet her?" said Daphne. "I seem to associate her with winter sports." "Switzerland?" said my sister. "What year? Nineteen-twelve?" I walked to the door and opened it. "If I told you," I said, "you wouldn't believe me." Then I went out. CHAPTER V THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS "I suppose," said Daphne. "I suppose you think you're funny." Her husband regarded his cigarette with a frown. "Not at all," he replied. "Only there's nothing doing. That's all. My mind is made up. This correspondence must now cease. For myself, as bread-winner and--" "Never did a day's work in your life," said Jonah. "And one of the world's workers (so you're wrong, you see)--" "Of course he's going," said I, looking up. "Only what as?" "Why not himself?" said Jill. "M, no," said I. "We must find something out of the common. A mountebank's too ordinary. I want our party to be one of the features of the ball." "Would it be asking you too much to shut your face?" said Berry. "Nobody spoke to you. Nobody wants to speak to you. I will go further. Nobody--" "Could he go as a cook, d'you think?" said Daphne. "A chef-thing, I mean. They had cooks, of course. Or a wine-butler? They must have had--" "Or a birthright?" said Berry. "We know they had birthrights. And I'd sooner be a birthright than a wine-cooler any day. Besides, Jonah could go as a mess of pottage. There's an idea for you. Talk about originality!"