"Why couldn’t you stay and talk to them?" he asked. "They wouldn’t eat you. Who cares what you have on? The mater is quite right. She is just as nice in a morning costume as old Dudgeon in her war paint. You think too much of clothes, you kids." "Yet you like to see us nicely dressed," wailed Jean. "Of course I do. Mabel in that blue thing is a dream." Mabel looked at him gratefully. "Oh, if only Mabel had been sitting there embroidering, in her blue gown, and Bertha had shown them ceremoniously in! How lovely it would have been!" said Elma. "I couldn’t have worn my blue," said Mabel with a conscience-stricken look. "You know why." "Oh, Mabel--the rucking! How unfortunate!" "It never dawned on us that we should ever know them." Cuthbert looked from one to another. "What on earth have you been up to now?" he asked suspiciously. "Mabel got her dress made the same as Adelaide Maud’s," said Betty accusingly. She rather liked airing Mabel’s mistakes just then, after having been so sat upon for her own. "Well, it’s a good thing that Adelaide Maud, as you call her, won’t ever come near you," Cuthbert remarked in a savage voice. "But it’s Adelaide Maud who’s in the drawing-room," said Elma. Cuthbert drew in his breath sharply. "Oh, Cuthbert, you aren’t well." "It’s the bandage," he said. "Montgomery is a bit of an idiot about bandaging. I told him so. Doesn’t give a fellow room to breathe." He became testy in his manner. "You oughtn’t to have all run away like that, like a lot of children. Old Dudgeon will be sniffing round to see how much money there is in our furniture, and cursing herself for having to call." "Adelaide Maud was awfully stiff," sighed Elma. "Our furniture can bear inspection," said Mabel with dignity. "The Dudgeons may have money, but papa has taste." "Yes, thank goodness," said Cuthbert. "They can’t insult us on that point. This beastly side of mine! Why can’t we go downstairs, Mabel, and tell them what we think of ’em?" "I’m longing to, but terrified," said Mabel. "It’s because we’ve admired them so and talked about them so much." "Adelaide Maud wouldn’t know you from the furniture," said Jean. "You may spare yourself the agony of wanting to see her. I think they might be nice when we’ve been neighbours in a kind of way for so long." "Well--they’re having a good old chat with the mater at least," said Cuthbert. "I haven’t confidence in mummy," said Jean. "I can hear her, can’t you? Instead of talking about the flower show or the boat races, or something dashing of that sort, she will be saying----" "Oh, I know," said Mabel. "When Elma was a baby--or was it when Betty was a baby--yes, it was, and saying how cute Cuthbert was when he was five years old----" "If she does," shouted Cuthbert. "Oh, mother mine, if you do that!" He shook his fist at the open door.