'Eat as much as you like, dears,' said Aunt Betsy, 'but remember that your father will expect you to have some appetite at seven.'
'We won't disappoint him,' said Bessie; 'seven is an hour and half from now. Blanche can do wonders in an hour and a half.'
Blanche's appetite was one of the stock family jokes, like Urania's tight boots; so there was a laugh, and the others went on eating.
Brian Wendover told them about to-morrow's excursion. 'I shall put four horses into the wagonette,' he said. 'I almost wish I had a drag to do honour to the occasion; but we must resign ourselves to a wagonette. You will go, of course, Aunt Betsy? and Bessie must come; and I suppose we ought to invite Miss Rylance. She has joined in most of our excursions, and it would be invidious to leave her out of this. And I dare-say Bessie would think the whole thing flat without Mr. Jardine?'
'It's very kind of you to think of him; but I don't believe he'll be able to spare the day,' said Bessie.
'We'll ask him, at any rate, and then you can't say we've used you badly.
That makes a party of six. I'll go and telegraph to Sir Vernon.'
'Will there be lawn-tennis after lunch?' asked Blanche, with a very long face.
'I shouldn't wonder if there were,' answered Brian: 'does that mean that you want to go?'
'I shall not have a creature to speak to at home, and I never go anywhere,' said Blanche, despairingly.
Both statements were obvious untruths, but no doubt the damsel herself believed them.