"Oh, but I must tell you," she began.
Cuthbert appeared at the doorway.
"Drawing-room cleared for dancing," said he. "Come along."
That finished it, and the girls were delighted with themselves. But one little melancholy thing, for all her partisanship, disturbed Jean considerably. Mr. Meredith, on giving his arm to Mabel for the first dance, was heard distinctly to remark, "You make all these delicious things as well as play piano! How clever of you."
And Mabel looking perfectly possessed floated round to the first waltz as though she had not made a complete muddle of the walnut cake.
Jean did not regret their generosity, but she was saddened by it.
"It all comes of being the eldest," she confided to Maud, "We may stand on our heads now if we like, but if anything distinguished happens in the family, Mabel will get the credit of it."
CHAPTER IX
At Miss Grace's
Miss Grace sat crocheting in her white and gold drawing-room and Elma played to her. Then the front door bell rang.