“I wish she’d gone with Maurice.”

“H-m––that was drunk the other day?”

“Yes, I suppose that queers him forever. And 54 the other fellow does ten times as bad, only under cover. Who told you?”

“Never mind. Wasn’t he?”

“Was Maurice to the ball?”

“He was.”

“And who with?”

“With nobody.”

“Good. Was Mrs. Miner there?”

“Mrs. Miner?”––and such a sniff!––“yes, she was there.”