“Your explanation strikes me as being worse than the offense,” Mrs. Fordyce was thoroughly aroused, and not heeding Marjorie’s attempt to restore peace, added, “I am grateful to Marjorie for saving me from a swindler; apparently you think because the amount is small that I should submit to being robbed. Let me tell you, Janet, that no one is so rich that he can stand being fleeced, and any woman who knowingly permits graft in her kitchen is worse than a fool. Never let me hear you again advocate condoning knavery.” Janet bowed before the storm. “I won’t, mother,” meekly. “Indeed, Marjorie, I did not mean to insult you in any way.” “I am sure you didn’t,” answered Marjorie, more puzzled than hurt by Janet’s peculiar manner; they had been from their first meeting sworn allies and good comrades. “Please think no more about it, dear.” “What dirty money!” Mrs. Fordyce withdrew her hand from the table hastily. “Do take it away.” “With pleasure,” laughed Janet, recovering somewhat her usually sunny disposition, and she was about to gather up the soiled bank notes when her mother stopped her. “No, you must not touch them,” she declared, and Marjorie opened her eyes at her vehemence. “I will have Calderon send them to the Treasury to be redeemed.” “Beg pardon, ma’am,” said Perkins from behind the half-open door. “Captain Nichols is at the telephone and wishes to speak to----” “Me, Perkins?” and Janet sprang to her feet. “No, Miss Janet, he asked for Miss Langdon.” “Won’t you take the message for me, Janet?” inquired Marjorie, laying a paper-weight over the receipted bills. “No, certainly not,” and Janet disappeared from the room. “Pay no attention to her whims,” advised Mrs. Fordyce kindly. “I’ll go over the accounts with you later; don’t keep Captain Nichols waiting.” Marjorie found Tom exceedingly curt on the telephone, and she hung up the receiver a few seconds later, wondering what under the sun induced everyone to become so ill-tempered all of a sudden. As she walked through the dining-room after leaving the pantry, where she had gone to answer the telephone in preference to disturbing Mr. Calderon Fordyce in his library, she encountered Janet pouring out a glass of ice water. “What did your cousin want?” she asked. “He said he would be unable to dine here tonight....” “Does he think we run a hotel,” Janet was pale with anger, “that he breaks our invitations at will? How dare he treat us so cavalierly!” “Stop!” Marjorie’s authoritative voice, though low-pitched, brought the furious girl to her senses. “Captain Nichols intends no disrespect to your family or to you; in fact, he highly appreciates your kindness and hospitality.” “Then why doesn’t he come here?” “He told me to tell you that he had received an invitation to dine at the White House, and therefore had to cancel his engagement here, to his great regret. He will join us later at the Charity Ball.”