d Hubert takes me in to supper. Poor me!" She made an
extravagant face of self-pity and swept on. Lord Hubert was one of the
sons of the house, a stupid and inarticulate guardsman, Kitty's butt and
detestation. Ashe smiled to himself over her fate, and went back to the
ballroom in search of his own lady.

Meanwhile Kitty paused in the next drawing-room, and dismissed her
following.

"I promised to wait here for Lord Hubert," she said. "You go on, or
you'll get no tables."

And she waved them peremptorily away. The drawing-room, one of a suite
which looked on the garden, thinned temporarily. In a happy fatigue,
Kitty leaned dreamily over the ledge of one of the open windows, looking
at the illuminated space below her. Amid the colored lights, figures of
dream and fantasy walked up and down. In the midst flashed a
flame-colored fountain. The sounds of a Strauss waltz floated in the
air. And beyond the garden and its trees rose the dull roar of London.

A silk curtain floated out into the room under the westerly breeze,
then, returning, sheathed Kitty in its folds. She stood there hidden,
amusing herself like a child with the thought of startling that great
heavy goose, Lord Hubert.

Suddenly a pair of voices that she knew caught her ear. Two persons,
passing through, lingered, without perceiving her. Kitty, after a first
movement of self-disclosure, caught her own name and stood motionless.

"Well, of course you've heard that we got through," said Lady Parham.
"For once Lady Kitty behaved herself!"

"You were lucky!" said Mary Lyster. "Lady Tranmore was dreadfully
anxious--"

"Lest she should cut us at the last?" cried Lady Parham. "Well, of
course, Lady Kitty is 'capable de tout.'" She laughed. "But perhaps as
you are a cousin I oughtn't to say these things."

"Oh, say what you like," said Mary. "I am no friend of Kitty's, and
never pretended to be."

Lady Parham came closer, apparently, and said, confidentially: "What on
earth made that man marry her? He might have married anybody. She had
no money, and worse than no position."

"She worked upon his pity, of course, a good deal. I saw them in the
early days at Grosville Park. She played her cards very cleverly. And
then, it was just the right moment. Lady Tranmore had been urging him to
marry."

"Well, of course," said Lady Parham, "there's no denying the beauty."

"You think so?" said Mary, as though in wonder. "Well, I never could see
it. And now she