"Of course," said Belvane, "whatever your Royal Highness wishes, but I do think that His Majesty——"
"My dear Countess," said Hyacinth, with a smile, "the invitation has already gone, so there's nothing more to be said, is there? Had you finished your exercises? Yes? Then, Wiggs, will you conduct her ladyship downstairs?"
She turned and left her. The Countess watched her go, and then stood tragically in the middle of the room, clasping her diary to her breast.
"This is terrible!" she said. "I feel years older." She held out her diary at arm's length and said in a gloomy voice, "What an entry for to-morrow!" The thought cheered her up a little. She began to consider plans. How could she circumvent this terrible young man who was going to put them all in their places. She wished that——
All at once she remembered something.
"Wiggs," she said, "what was it I heard you saying to the Princess about a wish?"
"Oh, that's my ring," said Wiggs eagerly. "If you've been good for a whole day you can have a good wish. And my wish is that——"
"A wish!" said Belvane to herself. "Well, I wish that——" A sudden thought struck her. "You said that you had to be good for a whole day first?"
"Yes."
Belvane mused.