When Ann went into the drawing room, she found her mother surrounded by a group of old and new friends. There was a comparatively small number of the company left, which fact consoled Ann, rather dreading to play before them. But she loved her grandmother’s big grand piano and touched it with affectionate fingers as she played the prelude to the song. In spite of the ice-cream, Louise Stanton sang well, her voice girlish, but fresh and sweet. Afterward, Mrs. Sterling proudly introduced Ann to her friends, who looked with kindly eyes upon Elizabeth LeRoy Sterling’s daughter. There were “lovely” people here, after all, and Mrs. Lewis had not remained upon the scene.
CHAPTER IV
BACK TO THE JOLLY SIX
Ann did not think best to trouble her mother with any of the gossip with which she had been afflicted through Mrs. Lewis. What was the use? Through Suzanne, however, Grandmother heard that Ann had been engaged in a long conversation with the lady, and she spoke of it the next morning, as she was taking her outing among the flowers. Ann had joined her and under her direction was picking some of her grandmother’s favorites.
“Suzanne tells me that our friend Mrs. Lewis was entertaining you, or demanding entertainment of you, yesterday.”
“Yes, Grandmother. Isn’t she an awful woman?”
“Did you wonder that I quoted what I did in description?”
“No. Her tongue is poisonous all right. But it was such a surprise. She was so pleasant, indeed, all the way through, you would have thought that she was telling pleasant things. Do you suppose that she meant to be——.” Ann paused for a fitting word.
“Malicious?” Grandmother supplied.
“That is the word. Thank you.”