Sophie made a slight pause before she answered; and I saw her eyes wander out in the distance towards Bill Whitney.
“Oh, thank you,” she said, with a great display of gratitude. “But I think I am engaged.”
“Engaged for the first dance?”
“Yes. I am so sorry.”
“The second, then?”
“With the greatest pleasure.”
Anna heard it all as well as I. Tod gave Sophie’s hand a squeeze to seal the bargain, and went away whistling.
Not being in the world of fashion, we did not know how other people finished up Drawing-room days (and when Helen Whitney went to Court they were Drawing-rooms), but the Whitneys’ programme was this: A cold collation in lieu of dinner, when Fate should bring them home again, and a ball in the evening. The ball was our joint invention. Sitting round the schoolroom fire one night we settled it for ourselves: and after Sir John and my lady had stood out well, they gave in. Not that it would be much of a ball, for they had few acquaintances in London, and the house was small.
But now, had any aid been wanted by Miss Deveen to carry out her plans, she could not have devised better than this. For the Whitneys invited (all unconsciously) Mrs. Hughes to the ball. Anna came into Miss Deveen’s after they had been sending out the invitations (only three days before the evening), and began telling her the names as a bit of gossip. She came at last to Mrs. Hughes.
“Mrs. Hughes,” interrupted Miss Deveen, “I am glad of that, Anna, for I want to see her.”