hich indicated that
bridge had not yet begun, while her acute nostrils detected the faint
but certain smell of roast grouse, which showed what Susan had given Mr.
Wyse for dinner, probably telling him that the birds were a present to
her from the shooting-lodge where she had stayed in the summer. Then,
after she had thrown herself a glance in the mirror, and put on her
smile, Boon preceded her, slightly shrugging his shoulders, to the
drawing-room door, which he pushed open, and grunted loudly, which was
his manner of announcing a guest. Miss Mapp went tripping in, almost at
a run, to indicate how vexed she was with herself for being late, and
there, just in front of her, stood Diva, dressed not in kingfisher-blue
at all, but in the crimson-lake of Mrs. Trout's second toilet.
Perfidious Diva had had her dress dyed too....

Miss Mapp's courage rose to the occasion. Other people, Majors and tipsy
Captains, might be cowards, but not she. Twice now (omitting the matter
of the Wars of the Roses) had Diva by some cunning, which it was
impossible not to suspect of a diabolical origin, clad her odious little
roundabout form in splendours identical with Miss Mapp's, but now,
without faltering even when she heard Evie's loud squeak, she turned to
her hostess, who wore the Order of M.B.E. on her ample breast, and made
her salutations in a perfectly calm voice.

"Dear Susan, don't scold me for being so late," she said, "though I know
I deserve it. So sweet of you! Isabel darling and dear Evie! Oh, and Mr.
Wyse! Sweet Irene! Major Benjy and Captain Puffin! Had a nice game of
golf? And the Padre!..."

She hesitated a moment wondering, if she could, without screaming or
scratching, seem aware of Diva's presence. Then she soared, lambent as
flame.

"Diva darling!" she said, and bent and kissed her, even as St. Stephen
in the moment of martyrdom prayed for those who stoned him. Flesh and
blood could not manage more, and she turned to Mr. Wyse, remembering
that Diva had told her that the Contessa Faradiddleony's arrival was
postponed.

"And your dear sister has put off her journey, I understand," she said.
"Such a disappointment! Shall we see her at Tilling at all, do you
think?"

Mr. Wyse looked surprised.

"Dear lady," he said, "you're the second person who has said that to me.
Mrs. Plaistow asked me just now----"

"Yes; it was she who told me," said Miss Mapp in case there was a
mistake. "Isn't it true?"

"Certainly not.