“You girls are more hospitable than I. I ought to be ashamed of myself. I must try to live up to you.” She paused, then proposed: “Suppose you go to her room and invite her to the spread? She has number 8.”
“You’re a jewel, Miss Remson.” Vera patted one of the manager’s hands.
“Nothing like social eats to promote acquaintance,” nodded Robin.
“Come on.” Leila was already half way to the door. “Let us visit our would-be in a body and speak to her as with one voice. What shall we say, so that we may all say the same, and not gabble at her like geese?”
“I don’t fancy the concert invitation plan,” Vera objected. “You do the inviting, Marjorie. You’ve a wonderful way with you.”
“So have I,” Leila hastily assured Vera. “Never forget that, Midget. I will praise myself rather than not be praised.”
Laughing and joking the five post graduates hurried lightly up the stairs and down the second floor hall to room number 8. Nor when Vera knocked lightly on the door had it been decided as to which one of them should be spokesman.
The girl who answered the knock seemed lovelier to her callers than when they had seen her alighting from the taxicab that afternoon. She wore a pale primrose negligee which fell in straight soft folds to her feet. Its flowing sleeves dropped away from her white, rounded arms and the collarless cut of the negligee brought out the beauty of her shapely throat. Her peculiarly colored eyes roved from one face to another. They held a certain veiled inquiry not far from insolence. She was silent; evidently waiting for her callers to speak first.
“Good evening.” While Marjorie had not consented to begin the making of friendly overtures with the prospective student she felt impelled to break the silence. “We are having a spread downstairs in the dining room. Miss Remson is giving it. Won’t you join us?” she invited with pleasant directness.
“Oh, no, thank you. You could hardly expect me to come down en deshabille.” Contempt for invitation and callers lurked faintly in the answer; a contempt which the girls felt rather than heard.