Instead, she was saying, “Thank you; yes, I’d rather walk,” to Cousin Charley. Bella and Tom said the same thing. Mrs. Drysdale was helped into one of the carriages that always ran back and forth on Mrs. King’s reception days—a bevy of ladies and gentlemen filling the others; and off they all set, to meet in the dressing-rooms at “The Oaks.”
CHAPTER V.
MRS. JASPER KING’S RECEPTION.
“WE’RE in an awful hole,” gasped Bella, pulling Grace off to the farthest corner of the dressing-room. “Er—do get away from that maid; you don’t want her sharp eyes all over you. No, we don’t either of us want any help;” over her shoulder at that functionary. “Now, Grace, er—Angela, you’ve gone and got me into this scrape, and I shall never hold up my head again in all this world.”
Poor Grace’s head couldn’t droop any more than it did, as she mumbled miserably, “I know it. Oh, dear me!”
This was worse than all, and Bella took fresh alarm. “For mercy’s sake, hold up your head and look big, as if you were somebody.” It was now her turn to pinch Grace.
“I can’t; because I’m not somebody,” sighed Grace. The frizzes even seemed to droop miserably on her brow; and she looked like a wilted flower, all her smart hired glory gone suddenly out of her.
“What a horrible scrape!” cried Bella between her teeth. “Oh, dear me, Grace, you must behave! Dear, dear!” as some ladies hovered near.
“I think your mother wants to go down now,” said one; “she is trying to signal you. Introduce your young friend to me, will you?”
“Oh, I can’t go down-stairs!” cried Grace in a spasm of terror, and catching Bella’s arm in a way to make her faint, as that young lady looked over to the knot of ladies by the door, one of whom was waving her fan frantically.
The lady who had requested the introduction, extending her hand in a winning way, Bella twitched away from the clutch, and said quickly, “Miss Grace Strange—I mean Miss Angela Tupper. Oh, dear me! I don’t feel very well, and mamma wants me. Come on.” She fairly hauled Grace out through the ranks of elegant women, regardless of their dismay at her haste. “See what you have done,” her black looks said when at last she permitted Grace a glimpse of her face.