The girls melted from the room, and left Mrs. Dudgeon and Adelaide Maud in the centre of it, stranded, staring.
"What an odd family," said Mrs. Dudgeon stiffly.
Adelaide Maud never answered.
The Leightons rushed frantically to other parts of the house.
The second tragedy occurred.
Mrs. Leighton utterly refused to change her quiet afternoon dress for another in which to receive Mrs. Dudgeon. She went to the drawing-room as she was.
They ran to Cuthbert's room to tell him about it. Cuthbert seemed rather excited when he asked which "Story Book." Elma said, "Oh, you know, the one," and he concluded she meant Hermione, who did not interest him at all.
"Why couldn't you stay and talk to them?" he asked. "They wouldn't eat you. Who cares what you have on? The mater is quite right. She is just as nice in a morning costume as old Dudgeon in her war paint. You think too much of clothes, you kids."
"Yet you like to see us nicely dressed," wailed Jean.
"Of course I do. Mabel in that blue thing is a dream."