"But, mother, she is so very handsome! Surely you might include her."
"Dear me, Beatrice, what a stupid girl you are! What is the good of asking handsome girls to cut you out in your own house? I should have thought you would have had the sense to see that for yourself," said Mrs. Miller, impatiently.
"I think you are horribly unjust, mamma," says Miss Beatrice, energetically; "and it is downright unkind to leave her out because she is handsome—as if I cared."
"How can I ask her if I do not know her name?" said her mother, irritably, with just that amount of dread of her daughter's rising temper to make her anxious to conciliate her. "If you like to find out who she is and all about her——"
"Yes, I will find out," said Beatrice, quietly; "give me the note, I will keep it back for the present."
"Now, for goodness sake, go on, child, and don't waste any more time. Who are coming from town to stay in the house?"
"Well, there will be Lady Kynaston, I suppose."
"Yes. She won't come till the end of the week. I have heard from her; she will try and get down in time for the ball."
"Then there will be the Macpherson girls and Helen Romer. And, as a matter of course, Captain Kynaston must be asked?"
"Yes. What a fool that woman is to advertise her feelings so openly that one is obliged to ask her attendant swain to follow her wherever she goes!"