"See me as a Woodbine, girls, beg pardon, miss-cue, a Columbine, I mean, nearly cold with the kilt, kilt with the cold, I should say, sixpence in the box for the opera-glasses, Gerald, but don't ogle me while mother's in the wings, wishing she was twenty-one again--good old mother-- "'Here's to the happiest hours of my life, Spent in the arms of another man's wife-- My Mo-the-rr!'" (The shake on the long note produced by a rapid play of Mr. Mackie's fingers on Mr. Mackie's Adam's apple.) "Thought I'd have to backpedal, didn't you, Miss Causton? Nay, fear not, fair damsel, the intentions of Ferdinando are honourable, as long as you watch him, pip-pip, phee-ooo!" (The shrill whistle behind the handkerchief closed the strophe.) But this was rushing matters. Kitty Windus spoke, no doubt on behalf of the students who hadn't a pound a week on their own. "Fancy dress would keep a good many away," she said. "I should love it, but it really is an expense, you know." "Weston can buy a penny bottle of gum and come as a foreign stamp." "Do be serious, Mr. Mackie, now! We want the social to be for everybody here----" "_And_ their friends," Miss Levey interpolated, with a look of private understanding at Kitty Windus. There was a short interlude between the two women. "You _won't_ find out, Miriam!" "I _vill_!" "Did you offer him tickets for the Holborn?" "Yes; but he vouldn't buy them." "Doesn't Mrs. J. as-is-to-be dance?" "I don't know. He vouldn't buy the tickets." "I'll bet you another half-crown you don't get him there, let alone her!" "Done vith you, Kitty Vindus!" cried Miss Levey excitedly. Here Mr. Mackie interposed. "Who's that? Jeffries? He can come in his ulster as Boaz--_heu_, how Ruthless! (Beshrew me, but have I not a pretty wit?)" "He's got that new brown suit to come in--or did he get it second-hand, Archie?" asked Kitty. "New," quoth Archie authoritatively. "Allworthy's, in Cheapside. Two ten." "I nearly died when he turned up without that old ulster!" "Vasn't it screaming?" simpered Miss Levey. "No, don't, Archie!" (Young Merridew was pulling out the frill of her jabot.) "Do tell us exactly what he said when you congratulated him on his engagement, Evie!" said Kitty Windus, turning to Evie Soames. The girl coloured a little. In common fairness Louie had to acquit her of full participation in the joke of Mr. Jeffries and his unknown _fiancée_. Louie had learned that it had been in order to congratulate Mr. Jeffries on this supposed engagement that she had followed Mr. Jeffries into the library on that Friday evening before her departure for the week-end to Guildford. She thought little more of her on that account. In being too ready with apologies and congratulations Evie Soames merely showed the vulgarity of the rest of the place. "No, do let's get on with business," Kitty Windus broke in. "I vote for ordinary dress." "Yes, ordinary dress," came the chorus.