Amaryllis had been to Harietta's dinners and dances, and now the Boleskis had been asked down to Ardayre in return for the three days at the end of the month, when the coming of age of the young Marquis of Bridgeborough would give occasion for great rejoicings, and Amaryllis herself would give a ball. "You cannot ask people down to North Somerset in these days just for the pleasure of seeing you, my dear child," Lady de la Paule had said to her nephew's wife. "Each season it gets worse; one is flattered if one's friends answer an invitation to dinner even, or remain for half an hour when it is done. I do not know what things are coming to, etiquette of all sorts went long ago--now manners, and even decency have gone. We are rapidly becoming savages, openly seizing whatever good thing is offered to us no matter from whom, and then throwing it aside the instant we catch sight of something new. But one must always go with the tide unless one is strong enough to stem it, and frankly _I_ am not. Now Bridgeborough's coming of age will make a nice excuse for you to have a party at Ardayre. How many people can you put up? Thirty guests and their servants at least, and seven or eight more if you use the agent's house." So thus it had been arranged, and John expressed his pleasure that his sweet Amaryllis should show what a hostess she could be. None but the most interesting people were invited, and the party promised to be the greatest success. Two or three days before they were to go down, Amaryllis coming in late in the afternoon, found Verisschenzko's card. "Oh! John!" she cried delightedly, "that very thrilling Russian whom we met in Paris has called. You remember he wrote to me some time ago and said he would let us know when he arrived. Oh! would not it be nice to have him at our party--let us telephone to him now!" Verisschenzko answered the call himself, he had just come in; he expressed himself as enchanted at the thought of seeing her--and yes--with pleasure he would come down to Ardayre for the ball. "We shall meet to-night, perhaps, at Carlton House Terrace at the German Embassy," he said, "and then we can settle everything." Amaryllis wondered why she felt rather excited as she walked up the stairs--she had often thought of Verisschenzko, and hoped he would come to England. He was vivid and living and would help her to balance herself. She had thought while she dressed that her life had been one stupid rush with no end, since that night when they had talked of serious things at the Montivacchini hotel. She had need of the counsel he had promised to give her, for this heedless racket was not adding lustre to her soul.