king a future acquaintance for granted with a
calmness which at once irritated and impressed her hearer. At the
bottom of her heart Teresa felt the birth of a jealous dread; and found
herself hoping that Cassandra would not call, would at any rate delay
doing so for months to come, as was her custom with Chumley
acquaintances. And then once again the door was thrown open, and with
an accent of satisfaction the parlourmaid announced--Lady Cassandra
Raynor.

She had come already! On the very first day on which Mrs Beverley was
at home,--as quickly, as eagerly, as the humblest among them! Every
woman in the room felt the same sense of amaze, the same rankling
remembrance of the different manner in which she herself had been
treated. Their eyes turned as on one pivot towards the door.

Cassandra entered, a vision of delight in grey velvet and chinchilla
furs, her face with its delicately vivid bloom half hidden by the latest
eccentricity in hats. Her dress was very tight, her hat was very large;
from an artistic point of view the lines of both were abominable, but
Cassandra considered them ravishing, and, being one of the happy people
who look well despite their clothes, succeeded in mesmerising her
audience into a like belief. She advanced, walking with short, mincing
footsteps, while her eyes swept the room. Grizel rose from the sofa to
greet her, and a glance was exchanged between them, a swift, appraising
glance. The lookers-on heard the exchange of a few society phrases,
pronounced, it appeared to them, with an unnecessary amount of "gush,"
but in the moment in which the two hands clasped, and the hazel eyes
looked into the blue, the two women realised that for them there need be
no intermediate stage; they were not strangers, they were already
friends.

Martin came forward and shook hands in his turn, and Cassandra seated
herself, bending her head in a smiling greeting, intended to embrace the
whole room. She had timed her visit in the hope that most of the guests
would be ready to depart, and noticed with satisfaction the empty
teacups, but every woman in the room with one exception, was at that
moment forming a mental resolution to stay and listen to what passed
between this interesting pair.

"Your house looks so beautifully settled, Mrs Beverley. I hope you
haven't been bored over the upset. It's so impossible to get things
done in the country!"

"Oh, thanks. I'm not on speaking terms with a wor