.
Ormonde, examining her with a critical eye as they took off their wraps
in the ladies' cloak-room. "Your dress might have been cut a little
lower, dear; with a long throat like yours it is very easy to keep
within the bounds of decency. I wonder you do not buy yourself some
diamonds; they are so becoming."

"I shall wait for some one to give them to me," returned Katherine,
laughing.

"Quite right"--very gravely--"only if I were you I should make haste and
decide on the 'some one.'"

"Mrs. Ormonde and Miss Liddell!" shouted the waiters from landing to
door, and the next moment Lady Barrington, a large woman in black velvet
and a fierce white cap in which glittered an aigret of diamonds, was
welcoming them with much cordiality.

"Very happy to see any friend of yours, my dear Miss Liddell! I think I
had the pleasure of meeting you, Mrs. Ormonde, at Lord Trevallan's
garden-party last June?"

"Oh yes; were _you_ there?" with saucy surprise.

"Algernon," continued Lady Barrington, motioning with her fan to a tall,
thin youth. "My nephew, Mrs. Ormonde, Miss Liddell. I think Algernon had
the pleasure of meeting you at Rome?" Katherine bowed and smiled. "Take
Mrs. Ormonde and Miss Liddell in and find them seats near the piano.
Signor Bandolini and Madam Montebello are good enough to give us some of
their charming duets, and are just going to begin. I was afraid you
might be late."

So Mrs. Ormonde and Miss Liddell were ushered to places of honor, and
the music began.

"I don't see a soul I know," whispered Mrs. Ormonde, presently. "Yet the
women are well dressed and look nice enough, but the men are decidedly
caddish."

"London is a large place, with room in it for all sorts and conditions
of men. But we must not talk, Ada."

Mrs. Ormonde was silent for a while; and then opening her fan to screen
her irrepressible desire to communicate her observations, resumed:

"I am sure I saw Captain Darrell in the doorway only for a minute, and
he went away. I hope he will come and talk to us. You were gone when he
came back from leave--to Monckton, I mean. He is rather amu--" A warning
"hush-sh" interrupted her.

"What rude, ill-bred people!" she muttered, under her breath. And soon
the duet--a new one, expressly composed to show off the vocal gymnastics
of the signore and madame--came to an end; there was a rustle of relief,
and every one burst into talk.

"How glad they are it is over!" said Mrs. Ormonde. "Look at t