ed
across at her while he listened to Lady Flora. The smile seemed to come
from a great way off. The longer she sat there the more that impression
grew; he seemed so much and so naturally a part of the scene and one of
the company. She was so emphatically not one of them, save by the merest
accident and for an evening's span. The sense of difference and distance
troubled her. She thought of Cecily alone at home, and grew more
troubled still. She felt absurd too, because she had been trying to help
Harry. If that had to be done, she supposed Lady Flora would do it now.
The idea was bitter. Where difference of class comes in, women seem more
hostile to one another than men are to men; perhaps this should be
considered in relation to the franchise question.

Through the talk of the rest she listened to Harry and Lady Flora. That
Harry should hold his own did not surprise her; it was rather unexpected
that he should do it so lightly and so urbanely. Lord Hove tried to
intervene once or twice, with no success; capricious waves of sympathy
undulated across to him from Mina. She turned her head by chance, and
found Mr Disney silent too, and looking at her. The next moment he spoke
to the easy-mannered youth.

"Well, Theo, what's the world saying and doing?"

"Same as last year, Cousin Robert," answered Theo cheerfully.
"Government's a year older, of course."

In an instant Mina was pleased; she detected an unexpected but pleasant
friendship between Mr Disney and the youth. She credited Disney with
more humanity--the humor necessary she knew he had--and liked him even
better.

"The drawing-rooms have kicked us out already, I suppose?"

"Oh, yes, rather. But the Bank's not sure."

"Good! That's something. Banks against drawing-rooms for me, Madame
Zabriska." He brought her into the conversation almost with tact; he
must have had a strong wish to make her comfortable.

"That's right," announced Theo. "I should say you're all right in the
country too. Crops pretty good, you know, and the rain's comin' down
just nicely."

"Well, I ordered it," said Mr Disney.

"Takin' all the credit you can get," observed Theo. "Like the man who
carved his name on the knife before he stabbed his mother-in-law."

"What did he do that for?" cried Mina. A guffaw from Disney quite amazed
her.

Harry looked across with a surprised air; he seemed to wonder that she
should be enjoying herself. Mina was annoyed, and set herself to be
merry;