“You must eat plenty of food, you know,” Percy’s mother had admonished them, “because I warn you that you will need all your strength to put up with the fearful ordeals Percy has planned for to-night——”
“Mother,” broke in Percy, “you mustn’t tell. You will spoil all the fun.”
“I’m not telling, dear. I’m only warning. But you know those things that jump at you from behind——”
“Stop her quick, somebody,” cried her son, pretending to gag her mouth with a napkin.
It was all very gay and the room buzzed with talk and laughter when the door opened and a servant admitted Belle Rogers and Fannie Alta.
Mrs. St. Clair greeted the new visitors as hospitably as she had the others. She even kissed Fannie’s dark, foreign little face and called her “dear” and drew the girl down beside her on the sofa.
“I want you to feel perfectly at home,” she said. “It was so good of you to have come with Belle.”
She was really the most delightful, beaming, good-natured creature imaginable, but all her efforts could not disguise the change which seemed suddenly to have taken place in the behavior of the others.
Somehow the laughter was less free, the talk less gay and jolly than it had been, and presently our four particular Motor Maids were glad for an excuse to go away with Percy and see the conservatories, while Belle and Fannie drank their tea with Mrs. St. Clair.
After that it was time to dress for dinner. A neat little maid had unpacked their bags and laid their best party dresses on the beds. They were very simple dresses indeed, and Nancy, at least, thought of floating blue chiffon draperies with a slight sigh of regret.