'Well, what will that matter? We'll go out together; I'll see that he keeps his distance. But now run up and get dressed.'
'Now then, come in,' cried Dolly, who was walking about in a pair of blue stockings. 'You're as bashful as an undergraduate.'
A roar of laughter greeted this sally, and feeling humiliated, she began to dress.
'You haven't heard Dolly's story of the undergraduate?' shouted a girl from the other end of the room.
'No, and don't want to,' replied Kate, indignantly. 'The conversation in this room is perfectly horrid. I shall ask Mr. Lennox to change me. And really, Miss Goddard, I think you might manage to dress yourself with a little more decency.'
'Well, if you call this dress,' exclaimed Dolly, fanning herself. 'I suppose one must take off one's stockings to please you. You're as bad as——'
Dolly was the wit of No. 6 dressing-room, and having obtained her laugh she sought to conciliate Kate. To achieve this she began by putting on her tights.
'Now, Mrs. Lennox,' she said, 'don't be angry; if I've a good figure I can't help it. And I do want to hear about the diamond ring.'
This was said so quaintly, so cunningly, as the Americans would say, that Kate couldn't help smiling, and abandoning her hand she allowed Dolly to examine the ring.
'I never saw anything prettier in my life. It wasn't an undergra—?' said the girl, who was a low comedian at heart and knew the value of repetition.