does it on purpose: she knows what it is," Nanda pursued with her
perfect gravity, "for people to be disappointed of finding her."

"Oh I shall find her yet," said Mr. Longdon. "And then I hope I shall
also find YOU."

She appeared simply to consider the possibility and after an instant to
think well of it. "I dare say you will now, for now I shall be down."

Her companion just blinked. "In the drawing-room, you mean--always?"

It was quite what she meant. "Always. I shall see all the people who
come. It will be a great thing for me. I want to hear all the talk. Mr.
Mitchett says I ought to--that it helps to form the young mind. I hoped,
for that reason," she went on with the directness that made her honesty
almost violent--"I hoped there would be more people here to-day."

"I'm very glad there are not!"--the old man rang equally clear. "Mr.
Vanderbank kindly arranged the matter for me just this way. I met him at
dinner, at your mother's, three weeks ago, and he brought me home here
that night, when, as knowing you so differently, we took the liberty of
talking you all over. It naturally had the effect of making me want to
begin with you afresh--only that seemed difficult too without further
help. This he good-naturedly offered me; he said"--and Mr. Longdon
recovered his spirits to repeat it--"'Hang it, I'll have 'em here for
you!'"

"I see--he knew we'd come." Then she caught herself up. "But we haven't
come, have we?"

"Oh it's all right--it's all right. To me the occasion's brilliant and
the affluence great. I've had such talk with those young men--"

"I see"--she was again prompt, but beyond any young person he had ever
met she might have struck him as literal. "You're not used to such talk.
Neither am I. It's rather wonderful, isn't it? They're thought awfully
clever, Mr. Van and Mr. Mitchy. Do you like them?" she pushed on.

Mr. Longdon, who, as compared with her, might have struck a spectator
as infernally subtle, took an instant to think. "I've never met Mr.
Mitchett before."

"Well, he always thinks one doesn't like him," Nanda explained. "But one
does. One ought to," she added.

Her companion had another pause. "He likes YOU."

Oh Mr. Longdon needn't have hesitated! "I know he does. He has told
mother. He has told lots of people."

"He has told even you," Mr. Longdon smiled.

"Yes--but that isn't the same. I don't think he's a bit dreadful," she
pursued. Still, there was a greater interest. "D