An attendant advanced briskly towards us. I put my hands in my pockets and tried to count my money.
"Tiaras, madam? Certainly. About what price?"
"Tell him about three pounds eight and six," I whispered to Miss Middleton. "Three pounds nine," I corrected, as I ran another sixpence to ground.
"Here is a beautiful one at two hundred and fifty pounds."
"Too much," I prompted softly.
"Oh," broke in Miss Middleton brightly, "I'm so sorry—such a silly mistake! We wanted neck-chains, not tiaras! Barbara has a tiara already, hasn't she?" she appealed to me.
"Two," I said quickly. "If not three."
"I'm so sorry," said Miss Middleton, with a dazzling smile. "The first gentleman must have misunderstood. Of course we gave her a tiara last year."
The man was disappointed; I saw that. But the smile melted him, and he went off in all friendliness.
"Tiara doesn't sound very much like neck-chain," I remarked after a pause.