“She’s just gone into the ladies’ cloak-room,” answered Braybrooke.

“But not to powder her face!” said Miss Van Tuyn. “She keeps us waiting, like the great prima donna in a concert, just long enough to give a touch of excitement to her appearance. Dear Lady Sellingworth! She has a wonderful knowledge of just how to do things. That only comes out of a vast experience.”

“Or—don’t you think that kind of thing may be instinctive?” said Craven.

She sought his eyes with a sort of soft hardihood which was very alluring.

“Women are not half as instinctive as men think them,” she said. “I’ll tell you a little secret. They calculate more than a senior wrangler does.”

“Now you are maligning yourself,” he said, smiling.

“No. For I haven’t quite got to the age of calculation yet.”

“Oh—I see.”

“Here she comes!” said Braybrooke.

And he went towards the door, leaving “our young friends” for a moment.