However, I shall never try cooking again, one reason being that I shall not be allowed. M'CRANKYS AT A PARTY "Mr. and Mrs. Gibson at home, Friday 17th," Mrs. M'Cranky read from an invitation card she received by the morning post. "Where have they been?" said M'Cranky, looking up from his Scotsman. "It's an invitation for us, dear, and we'll have to go, because we've promised for a long time to call on them, and the dress I got for Annie's marriage will do nicely with a little----" "Humbug! If there's anything worse than the worry of having a party at home, it's having to go out to one, getting into cold clothes when one is just feeling comfortable after dinner, and being expected to keep up a continual smile for four or five hours; and then, when we're leaving, thank the people for a very pleasant evening when we've just been dying to get home for a smoke. You just write and say that----" "No, dear, I can't say that; we must go, for Mrs. Gibson's expecting us, and I said we were not engaged." "How on earth could you say that when you've just this minute got the invitation?" "I met Mrs. Gibson the other day, and she told me she was going to invite us, and hoped we would be able to come; and I said we would be very happy, and I knew you were not engaged." "And if you accepted the invitation, what's the use of her writing?" "Oh, that doesn't count, you know; and she told me they were getting a neat card printed, and of course she would want me to see it; and I've to go down the night before to show her how to make a cream I got the recipe for from Aggie, and I've to tell her how the Gray's table was laid out, for she heard it was very much admired: so it would never do not to go." "I see; it's all settled before you get the invitation. Well, mind you will leave at eleven." "Whenever you like, dear," said Mrs. M'Cranky, knowing that if he got seated at whist he would not be in a hurry to leave. "Will you take lunch at the club to-day, dear?" said Mrs. M'Cranky on the morning of the 17th, "and I'll just take something light at home." "What's up now? There's no use turning up the house, for we'll be going away soon, and last year when you had the painters in you said you wouldn't require----" "I'm not going to touch the house, dear. This is the night of Gibson's party, and there's to be a nice supper. I was down last night helping her, and I've ordered the cab for half-past seven, for I've to see how the table looks."