Mrs. Lidcote steadily.

"Yes," Miss Suffern gasped, precipitately refilling her cup.

"The Ashton Gileses; and who else?"

"Well, the Sam Fresbies. But the most important person, of course, is
Mrs. Lorin Boulger."

"Mrs. Boulger? Leila didn't tell me she was coming."

"Didn't she? I suppose she forgot everything when she saw you. But the
party was got up for Mrs. Boulger. You see, it's very important that she
should--well, take a fancy to Leila and Wilbour; his being appointed
to Rome virtually depends on it. And you know Leila insists on Rome in
order to be near you. So she asked Mary Giles, who's intimate with the
Boulgers, if the visit couldn't possibly be arranged; and Mary's cable
caught Mrs. Boulger at Cherbourg. She's to be only a fortnight in
America; and getting her to come directly here was rather a triumph."

"Yes; I see it was," said Mrs. Lidcote.

"You know, she's rather--rather fussy; and Mary was a little doubtful
if--"

"If she would, on account of Leila?" Mrs. Lidcote murmured.

"Well, yes. In her official position. But luckily she's a friend of the
Barkleys. And finding the Gileses and Fresbies here will make it all
right. The times have changed!" Susy Suffern indulgently summed up.

Mrs. Lidcote smiled. "Yes; a few years ago it would have seemed
improbable that I should ever again be dining with Mary Giles and
Harriet Fresbie and Mrs. Lorin Boulger."

Miss Suffern did not at the moment seem disposed to enlarge upon this
theme; and after an interval of silence Mrs. Lidcote suddenly resumed:
"Do they know I'm here, by the way?"

The effect of her question was to produce in Miss Suffern an exaggerated
access of peering and frowning. She twitched the tea-things about,
fingered her bugles, and, looking at the clock, exclaimed amazedly:
"Mercy! Is it seven already?"

"Not that it can make any difference, I suppose," Mrs. Lidcote
continued. "But did Leila tell them I was coming?"

Miss Suffern looked at her with pain. "Why, you don't suppose, dearest,
that Leila would do anything--"

Mrs. Lidcote went on: "For, of course, it's of the first importance, as
you say, that Mrs. Lorin Boulger should be favorably impressed, in order
that Wilbour may have the best possible chance of getting Borne."

"I _told_ Leila you'd feel that, dear. You see, it's actually on _your_
account--so that they may get a post near you--that Leila invited Mrs.
Boulger."

"Yes, I see that." Mrs. Lidcote, abruptly ris