“I should hope not,” said the lady by whose side she was sitting. Then she asked suddenly, “You are not Jimmie Stanton’s sister?”
“Yes,” said Angelica.
“I’d like to know why he hasn’t brought you to see me!”
“He’s awfully busy with the horses,” the girl replied. “He has to stop at the Waldorf and see about the show with the men, and he makes me stay with Aunt Henrietta Cushing.” She stopped abruptly. She was afraid that what she had said might sound disloyal. “I like to stop with Aunt Henrietta,” she added solemnly. “Besides, I’ve been busy looking for Lady Washington.”
The young man whom they called Reggie, together with Mr. Livingstone and the lady beside Angelica, laughed openly at this allusion to Miss Cushing.
“Do you know her?” asked Angelica.
“Oh, everybody knows your Aunt Henrietta,” said the lady.
“And loves her,” added Livingstone, solemnly.
The lady laughed a little. “You see, she’s connected with nearly everybody. She’s a sort of connection of Reggie’s and mine, so I suppose we’re sort of cousins of yours. I hope you will like us.”
“I don’t know much about my relations on my mother’s side,” Angelica observed. The distinction between connections and relatives had never been impressed upon her. She was about to add that Jim said that his New York relatives tired him, but caught herself. She paused uneasily.