"Yes, madame. How many?"
"Four, Jones. Six at the table, that is. Cocktails to start with, Jones, and serve my best wines--freely, do you understand? I want you to give us a dinner to-night, Jones, that'll--make a new man of me," I murmured under my breath.
"Yes, madame," said the butler, respectfully, but I certainly caught a gleam of delight in his heavy eyes. "You give me carte blanche, madame?"
"Throw everything wide open, and let 'er go, Jones," I cried, with enthusiasm. Caroline should see that I know how "to provide."
Jones bowed, more, I believe, to conceal his astonishment than for mere ceremony, and turned to leave the room.
"Jones," I called, before he had disappeared, "if you talk to Jenkins before he leaves the house I shall discharge you."
The butler turned, with a flush in his face, and gave me a haughty stare. Then he said, recovering his machine-made humility:
"Yes, madame. Your orders shall be obeyed." With that he was gone.
"Go to the 'phone, Suzanne," I said at once, "and call up 502, Rector. When you've got 'em, let me know."
Suzanne was too nervous to accomplish this task, and I was forced to go to her assistance.