mes back," said
Lord George's sister.

"I shall mind very much. I will go up and get ready. You can do as you
please." So Mary left the room, and Lady Susanna followed her.

"She means to have her own way," said Jack, when he was alone with his
cousin.

"She is not at all what I took her to be," said Mrs. Houghton. "The
fact is, one cannot know what a girl is as long as a girl is a girl. It
is only when she's married that she begins to speak out." Jack hardly
agreed with this, thinking that some girls he had known had learned to
speak out before they were married.

They all went out together to walk across the parks to Berkeley Square,
orders being left that the brougham should follow them later in the
afternoon. Lady Susanna had at last resolved that she also would go.
The very fact of her entering Mrs. Houghton's house was disagreeable to
her; but she felt that duty called her. And, after all, when they got
to Berkeley Square no bagatelle was played at all. But the bagatelle
would almost have been better than what occurred. A small parcel was
lying on the table which was found to contain a pack of pictured cards
made for the telling of fortunes, and which some acquaintance had sent
to Mrs. Houghton. With these they began telling each other's fortunes,
and it seemed to Lady Susanna that they were all as free with lovers
and sweethearts as though the two ladies had been housemaids instead
of being the wives of steady, well-born husbands. "That's a dark man,
with evil designs, a wicked tongue, and no money," said Mrs. Houghton,
as a combination of cards lay in Lady George's lap. "Jack, the lady
with light hair is only flirting with you. She doesn't care for you one
bit."

"I daresay not," said Jack.

"And yet she'll trouble you awfully. Lady Susanna, will you have your
fortune told?"

"No," said Lady Susanna, very shortly.

This went on for an hour before the brougham came, during the latter
half of which Lady Susanna sat without once opening her lips. If any
play could have been childish, it was this play; but to her it was
horrible. And then they all sat so near together, and that man was
allowed to put cards into her brother's wife's hand and to take them
out just as though they had been brother and sister, or playfellows all
their days. And then, as they were going down to the brougham, the
odious man got Lady George aside and whispered to her for two minutes.
Lady Susanna did not hear a word of their whis