Strange to say, Lady Mary seemed to comprehend better than any of us. She gurgled with laughter the whole evening, and lavished attentions upon Jimmie so flatteringly that he ceased to look furtively at me and became quite cocky before the evening was over, pretending that he had done all these things to help me entertain my guests.
As we went up-stairs that night, Mrs. Jimmie clutched my arm, and, with eyes as big as stars, said, in a tense whisper:
"My dear, we are invited to Combe Abbey! Think of it! To visit the Duchess of Strowther! Lady Mary is going to write to her mother immediately!"
If it had been anybody except dear Mrs. Jimmie, I should have said:
"Is she going to invite the cow, too?"
But as it was, I squeezed back, and said, earnestly:
"I am so glad, dear Mrs. Jimmie!"
CHAPTER XI
ON THE GENTLE ART OF WASTING OTHER PEOPLE'S TIME
On the last day of the house-party we decided to hold a family gathering in the evening, to which each guest must bring a written sketch of some member of the household. It was to be a very short sketch, not to consume over ten minutes in the reading, and no one was to get angry, and no one was to get his feelings hurt.