“I liked the gooseberries,” said Pauline, “but, as you say, Briar, this is nice. Ah! here comes the aunt.”
Miss Tredgold sailed into view. She took her seat opposite the hissing urn and began to pour out cups of tea.
“For a week,” she said, “I take this place. At the end of that time Verena occupies my throne.”
“Oh, I couldn’t!” said Verena.
“Why in the world not, Renny? You aren’t quite a goose.”
“Don’t use those expressions, Pauline; they are distinctly vulgar,” said Miss Tredgold.
“Bother!” said Pauline.
She frowned, and the thought of the gooseberries and the hard crusts that used to constitute tea on many days when there was no Aunt Sophia came back to her with a sense of longing and appreciation of the golden past.
Nevertheless the girls were hungry, and the tea was excellent; and when Miss Tredgold had seen that each plate was piled with good things, and that every girl had her cup of tea made exactly as she liked it, she began to speak.
“You know little or nothing of the world, my dear girls, so during tea I intend to give you some pleasant information. I attended a tea-party last year in a house not far from London. You would like to hear all about it, would you not?”