"Oh, Auntie, please take Jenny to the Dering ball next week!" she said impulsively. "You will come, won't you, sweet?" Jennifer blushed and stammered. "To be sure," nodded her ladyship. "Of course she will come! James, sit down! You should know by now how the sight of anyone on their feet fatigues me, silly boy! Dear me, child, how like you are to your brother! Are you looking at my wig? Monstrous, isn't it?" Jennifer was covered with confusion. "Oh, no, ma'am, I--" Her ladyship chuckled. "Of course you were. How could you help it? Cleone tells me it is a ridiculous creation, don't you, my love?" "I do, and I truly think it!" answered Cleone, her eyes dancing. "'Tis just a little more impossible than the last." "There!" Lady Malmerstoke turned back to Jennifer. "She is an impertinent hussy, is she not?" "Could she be impertinent?" asked James fondly. "Very easily she could, and is," nodded her ladyship. "A minx." "Oh!" Jennifer was shocked. "Don't attend to her!" besought Cleone. "Sometimes she is very ill-natured, as you see." Jennifer ventured a very small laugh. She had resolutely dragged her eyes from the prodigious wig, and was now gazing at Cleone. "You--you seem quite different," she told her. Cleone shook her golden head. "'Tis only that Aunt Sally has tricked me out in fine clothes," she replied. "I'm--oh, I am the same!" she laughed, but not very steadily. "Am I not, James?" "Always the same," he said ardently. "Always beautiful." "I will not have it," said Lady Malmerstoke severely. "You'll turn the child's head, if 'tis not turned already." "Oh, it is, it is!" cried Cleone. "I am quite too dreadfully vain! And there is the bell again! James, who is it? It's vastly bad-mannered to peep, but you may do it. Quick!" James went to the window. "Too late," he said. "They are in, whoever they are." "'Twill be Thomas," decided Lady Malmerstoke. "I wonder if he is any fatter?" Jennifer giggled. She had never met anything quite like this queer, voluminous old lady before. "Is--is Sir Maurice coming?" she inquired. "I told him to be sure to come," answered her ladyship. "You know him, don't you?" "Oh, yes!" breathed Jennifer. "Sah Maurice and Mr. Jettan," announced the little black page. "Drat!" said her ladyship. She rose. "Where's your son?" she demanded, shaking her finger at Sir Maurice. Sir Maurice kissed her hand. "Sally, you grow ruder and ruder," he reproved her. "Maurice," she retorted, "you were ever a punctilious ramrod. Philip's the only one of you I want to see. He says such audacious things," she explained. "So gratifying to an old woman. Well, Tom?" Thomas bowed very low. "Well, Sally?" "That's not polite," she said. "You can see I am very well. I declare you are growing thinner!" Thomas drew himself up sheepishly. "Am I, my dear?" Her ladyship gave a little crow of delight. "You've been taking exercise!" she exclaimed. "If you continue at this rate--I vow I'll marry you in a month!"