"Well, you must both forgive me for asking such a question"--said Mavis still smiling--"But you see you are now among what are called the 'county magnates,' and county magnates consider themselves infinitely above all authors!" She laughed outright, and her blue eyes twinkled with fun. "I think many of them estimate writers of books as some sort of strange outgrowth of humanity that is barely decent. It is deliciously funny and always amuses me,--nevertheless, among my many faults, the biggest one is, I fancy, pride, and a dreadfully obstinate spirit of independence. Now, to tell you the truth, I have been asked by many so-called 'great' people to their houses, and when I _have_ gone, I have generally been sorry for it afterwards." "Why?" I asked--"They honour themselves by inviting you." "Oh, I don't think they take it in that way at all!" she replied, shaking her fair head demurely--"They fancy they have performed a great act of condescension,--whereas it is really I who condescend, for it is very good of me, you know, to leave the society of the Pallas Athene in my study for that of a flounced and frizzled lady of fashion!" Her bright smile again irradiated her face and she went on--"Once I was asked to luncheon with a certain baron and baroness who invited a few guests "to meet me," so they said. I was not introduced to more than one or two of these people,--the rest sat and stared at me as if I were a new kind of fish or fowl. Then the baron showed me his house, and told me the prices of his pictures and his china,--he was even good enough to explain which was Dresden and which was Delft ware, though I believe, benighted author as I am, I could have instructed him equally on these, and other matters. However I managed to smile amicably through the whole programme, and professed myself charmed and delighted in the usual way;--but they never asked me to visit them again,--and, (unless indeed they wanted me to be impressed with their furniture-catalogue) I can never make out what I did to be asked at all, and what I have done never to be asked any more!" "They must have been _parvenus_,"--said Sibyl indignantly--"No well-bred people would have priced their goods to you, unless they happened to be Jews." Mavis laughed--a merry little laugh like a peal of bells,--then she continued--