Mrs Fisher interposed to say in rather a bewildered voice: "My love, what is all this? Surely you have been introduced!"
"No," admitted Miss Devenish. "I came upon Colonel Audley quite by accident."
"But we were as good as introduced, ma'am," said the Colonel, "for I distinctly remember my sister telling me that she would present me to Miss Devenish. But just then the King and Queen arrived, and the opportunity was lost."
Mrs Fisher smiled indulgently, but remarked that she had never known her niece to be so scatter brained.
A couple of hours later Lady Worth, coming back into the ballroom on her husband's arm, was dumbfounded by the sight of Colonel Audley waltzing with Miss Devenish.
"Oh, so you contrived it, did you?" said Worth, also observing this circumstance.
"I did no such thing!" replied Judith. "In fact, I had quite made up my mind it would be useless to present him to poor Lucy, straight from Bab Childe's clutches! But was there ever such a provoking man? Not but what I am very glad to see him with Lucy. Even you will admit that that would be preferable to an entanglement with Lady Barbara! I wonder who introduced him to her?"
She was soon to learn from the lady herself in what manner the Colonel had become acquainted with Miss Devenish, for Lucy joined her presently and confided the story to her sympathetic ear.
"Very disagreeable for you," said Judith. "I am glad Charles was at hand to be of assistance."
"He was so very kind! But I am afraid you must have peen wondering what had become of him. Was it very wrong of me to let him have supper with us?"