“Please excuse me,” she said, “but I didn’t hear Mr. Livingstone introduce me to you.”

“Why,” said Livingstone, who overheard, “this is Mrs. Everett. I told you we were coming into her box.

“I thought she must have stepped out,” said Angelica. “You told me she was middle-aged.”

A peal of laughter followed.

“Angelica! Angelica!” Livingstone exclaimed.

“But you did,” said Angelica. “I asked you if she was an old lady, and you said, ‘Not so terribly old—middle-aged.’ And she’s not; she’s young.”

“Things can never be as they were before,” said Livingstone, mournfully, as the laughter died away.

“No,” said Mrs. Everett.

There was a pause, and one of the men turned to Reggie. “What are you going to do about the five-foot-six jumps?”

“Let it go,” said Reggie.