"Seventeen and a half, aunt."
Lady Woodhouse holds up her hands in horror. "Not even eighteen! What is the world coming to? But there, your mother is one of the most injudicious women I know, and always will be, I suppose. Well, Mr. Hugh Horton, and how are you? I suppose you two young people are going down together, eh?"
"No such luck, I'm afraid. I believe I'm to take one of the other ladies—Mrs. Danvers, in fact."
"Nothing of the sort!" exclaims this energetic lady. "I have made up my mind you shall take me, young man. Go over and tell your mother, Doris, that I insist upon going down with Mr. Hugh Horton. Then we will see if we can't contrive to sit next to you and your escort. Mind now, child, when you see me leaving the room, you follow; then we shall manage, I daresay. Ah! here comes Sir Peter—last, as usual. Now I suppose the party is complete. Run, Doris, or you will be too late."
Almost before Sir Peter has greeted his host and hostess, the door is once more thrown wide, and the announcement "Dinner is served" brings the assembled guests to their feet. Doris is standing obedient, close by her aunt, who has already taken forcible possession of Hugh, when a cheery, manly voice from behind says "Now, Miss Doris, your mother tells me I am to have the honour of taking you in to dinner on this auspicious occasion of your first appearance in public;" and Colonel Danvers stands before her with smiling face and outstretched hand.
"I couldn't come and speak to you before," he explains, "for your father and the rector pinned me at the other end of the room and dragged me into a political discussion."
"O, I am so glad I am to sit beside you!" exclaims Doris with genuine pleasure. "I was dreadfully afraid it would be Captain Hall; and he is so stupid, you know. It takes him about five minutes to get out the most ordinary remarks with his silly affected drawl."
"Now, Doris;" and Lady Woodhouse turns to leave the room, closely followed by Colonel Danvers and her niece, Mrs. Merivale and Sir Peter Beresford bringing up the rear. As Doris and the colonel turn the corner of the stairs a smart wrap on the former's head causes them to look up to the flight above, where they descry Molly, armed with a battledore, hanging over the balustrade. "Hush! don't say anything. How is Doris behaving?" she says with breathless inconsistency. Colonel Danvers looks up laughingly and nods a greeting. "O, pretty well, considering;" and Doris adds, "Do go away, Molly. Did you actually dare to rap my head with that thing?" But Molly, seeing that her mother is close at hand, disappears mysteriously, and there is much scuffling and giggling heard on the next landing, where evidently the others are collected also.
Although Doris finds herself seated between Hugh and her favourite the colonel, she is so dazzled and confused with the brightness of the scene and the incessant flow of talk that she at first sits perfectly silent.
With the assistance of Colonel Danvers she gravely studies her ménu, he explaining the meaning of some of the elaborate names of the dishes, which to her, fresh from the school-room, are as Greek.