"Oh, we don't expect soldiers to discover anything but projectiles," said Pamela. "Where have you men been this morning?" she added, measuring some fresh tea from the little caddy at her elbow.
"Playing billiards with Astry," Sidney replied promptly. "By Jove, I pity that man!"
"What do you mean, Billop?" exclaimed Sedley bluntly. "Johnstone Astry's worth five million and a half and—"
"Hush!" said Pamela suddenly, holding up her finger.
The footman pushed aside the portière and everybody looked around. Rachel Belhaven came in alone, dressed in simple gray cloth, a sable boa on her shoulders and a large, halo-like, black hat throwing the delicate oval of her face into keen relief. She greeted them all easily.
"I only stopped for a moment," she explained. "Eva 'phoned me to make sure you were all coming on Thursday; she says Johnstone was so informal she was afraid there might be a misunderstanding."
Paul turned very red. "We'll be delighted," he said sheepishly, thinking of Sidney's iniquities.
"We may all get stalled in the snow," said Sidney. "They're predicting a blizzard."
"It's clear as a bell," snapped Van Citters.
"Sidney has an inherited dread of accidents," chuckled Dr. Macclesfield. "Addie would never go to church picnics because she said there might be snakes."