She would, I'm sure," said Vera sympathetically. "I wonder if she'll
tell Sylvia anything about what Mr. Ridokanaki is doing."

"Oh, I can tell you all about him," said Bertie readily. "He's having a
very good time in Paris just now. I hear he's always about with the
Beaugardes. Miss Beaugarde's a very pretty girl just out of her convent.
Her mother's working it for all she's worth. Clever woman. I shouldn't
be surprised if it came off, if Madame Beaugarde can make him believe
the girl's in love with him for himself."

"You see we really need no sibyls and soothsayers when we have Bertie,"
said Felicity. "To know him really is a liberal education. He knows
everything."

"Sort of walking _Harmsworth's Self-educator_," said Bob rather
bitterly, as he took his hat.

Sylvia returned, evidently content. She told Felicity afterwards that
Madame Zero had seen her in the crystal in a large building of a sacred
character, dressed all in white and holding a bouquet. The sound of the
chanting of sweet boys' voices was in the air. What could it possibly
mean?

* * * * *

Whether or not Madame Zero had demonstrated her gifts so convincingly as
to have converted a sceptic, there was no doubt that she had perceptibly
raised the spirits of the whole party (not excluding her own), so the
seance was quite deservedly pronounced an immense success.

CHAPTER XXI

"THE OTHER GIRL"

Savile had received a note from Dolly, asking him to go and see her in
the square. Savile was feeling rather sore because Dolly and her French
friends had gone to a fancy ball the night before, a kind of
semi-juvenile party where all the children wore powdered hair. Dolly had
offered to get him an invitation, but he scornfully refused, knowing she
was going to dance the cotillon with Robert de Saules.

So depressed had he seemed that evening that Sylvia had played "Home,
Sweet Home" to him five or six times. It made him miserable, which he
thoroughly enjoyed, and he was feeling altogether rather cynical and
bitter when he got Dolly's little note. He had heard nothing more of
Chetwode, and intended to see Jasmyn Vere before he left; there was only
another week before the end of his holidays. Should he be cool to Dolly?
or not let her know how he felt about the fancy ball?

As soon as he arrived he thought she looked different. The powder had
been imperfectly brushed out of her hair; also she had been crying. She