and as we all share alike it
ought to have been a matter of honour with her--"

"But--Lady Caroline housekeeping for the party here? A party
which includes my wife? My dear lady, you render me speechless. Do
you not know she is the daughter of the Droitwiches?"

"Oh, is that who she is," said Mrs. Fisher, scrunching heavily
over the pebbles towards the hidden corner. "Well, that accounts for
it. The muddle that man Droitwich made in his department in the war
was a national scandal. It amounted to misappropriation of the public
funds."

"But it is impossible, I assure you, to expect the daughter of
the Droitwiches--" began Mr. Wilkins earnestly.

"The Droitwiches," interrupted Mrs. Fisher, "are neither here nor
there. Duties undertaken should be performed. I don't intend my money
to be squandered for the sake of any Droitwiches."

A headstrong old lady. Perhaps not so easy to deal with as he
had hoped. But how wealthy. Only the consciousness of great wealth
would make her snap her fingers in this manner at the Droitwiches.
Lotty, on being questioned, had been vague about her circumstances, and
had described her house as a mausoleum with gold-fish swimming about in
it; but now he was sure she was more than very well off. Still, he
wished he had not joined her at this moment, for he had no sort of
desire to be present at such a spectacle as the scolding of Lady
Caroline Dester.

Again, however, he was reckoning without Scrap. Whatever she
felt when she looked up and beheld Mr. Wilkins discovering her corner
on the very first morning, nothing but angelicness appeared on her
face. She took her feet off the parapet on Mrs. Fisher's sitting down
on it, and listening gravely to her opening remarks as to her not
having any money to fling about in reckless and uncontrolled household
expenditure, interrupted her flow by pulling one of the cushions from
behind her head and offering it to her.

"Sit on this," said Scrap, holding it out. "You'll be more
comfortable."

Mr. Wilkins leapt to relieve her of it.

"Oh, thanks," said Mrs. Fisher, interrupted.

It was difficult to get into the swing again. Mr. Wilkins
inserted the cushion solicitously between the slightly raised Mrs.
Fisher and the stone of the parapet, and again she had to say "Thanks."
It was interrupted. Besides, Lady Caroline said nothing in her
defence; she only looked at her, and listened with the face of an
attentive angel.

It seemed