'I'll get you turned out of the house.'
The girl withdrew uttering as Parthian shots some remarks about 'hupstarts hordering their betters about.'
In a few minutes Miss De Jobbyns, with some irritation of manner, appeared to prefer the same request, adding that she was wanted for a hand at whist.
'To come down to play whist? Is not this an unusual condescension?' asked Alison.
'Yes,' was the cool response; 'ma thinks it part of your duty to make yourself generally useful; and, I suppose, you can play whist?'
The girl was too underbred to be aware how heartless was the sang froid, in which she suggested, or commanded, that Alison should make herself useful.
'I would rather be excused.'
'But ma says you must!'
'Must—why?'
'A hand is wanted at the whist table, and I want Bevil at the piano, all to myself.'