the theatre they were bound for, Mr.
Jarvis asking young Swetenham if he knew anything of the company and
what it was like.

"Rather," the youth answered, "been twice myself this time already. They
are real good for travellers. Some jolly pretty girls among them."

"Musical comedy, isn't it?" Mrs. Bevis asked. "Dorothy has always so
wanted to see _The Merry Widow_."

"Well, that is what they are playing to-night," Swetenham assured her,
"and I hear it is Miss Bellairs' best part. She is good, mind you, in
most things, and there is a girl who dances top-hole."

"I don't know why we have never heard of it before," Mrs. Bevis
meandered gently on; "it is so clever of you, Mrs. Grant, to have found
that there was a theatre in Sevenoaks at all. I am sure we never dreamed
of there being one."

"They use the town hall," Dr. English put in. "If we can guarantee a
large enough audience, I expect they will favour us at Wrotham."

"Oh, what a splendid idea," cried the youngest Miss Bevis; "fancy a real
live theatrical company in Wrotham."

"I hope it will stay at 'fancy,'" grunted Mr. Bevis. "From what I
remember of travelling companies, Wrotham is better without them."

Despite all Swetenham's praise and the Miss Bevis' enthusiastic
anticipation Dick settled into his seat in the fourth row of the
so-called stalls with the firm conviction that he was going to be
thoroughly bored.

"The one consolation," he whispered to Mabel on their way in, "is that
mother will not be able to sleep comfortably. I don't want to appear
vicious, but really that is a consolation."

Mrs. Grant had apparently come to the same conclusion herself, for she
was expressing great dissatisfaction in a queenly manner to the timid
programme seller.

"Are these the best seats in the house?" they could hear her say. "It is
quite absurd to expect anyone to sit in them for a whole evening."

Mabel had to laugh at Dick's remark, then she went forward to soothe her
troubled parent as much as possible. "It isn't like a London theatre,
mother, and Tom has ordered one of the cars to stay just outside. The
minute you get tired he will take you straight home. He says he does not
mind, as he has so often seen _The Merry Widow_ before."

"Oh, well," Mrs. Grant sighed, and settled her weighty body into one of
the creaking, straight-backed wooden chairs of which the stalls were
composed. "So long as you young people enjoy yourselves I do not really
mind."

S