quite the same thing as receiving this Mr.
Burke by himself. It puts him on a different footing. And----"

"D'you mean I may have him here after all, Miss?" cried Million,
lighting up again at once. "Mr. Burke, I mean."

"Oh, yes, have him," I said resignedly. "Have both of them. We'll see
what happens when they meet."

CHAPTER XII

THE DAY OF THE PARTY

TO-DAY'S the day!

At four o'clock those two young men are coming to the Hotel Cecil, where
for the first time it will be a case of "Miss Million at home."

And to begin with Miss Million and her maid have had quite a fierce
argument.

I knew it was coming. I scented it afar off as soon as Million had sent
off her formal little note (dictated by me) to the Hon. James Burke at
this hotel.

As soon as we had settled which of all her new gowns the little hostess
was going to wear for this event she turned to me. Obviously suppressing
the "Miss Beatrice," which still lingers on the tip of her tongue,
Million asked: "And what are you goin' to put on?"

"Put on?" I echoed with well-simulated surprise, for I knew perfectly
what she meant. I braced myself to be firm, and took the bull by the
horns.

"I shan't have to 'put on' anything, you see," I explained. "I shall
always be just as I am in this black frock and this darling little
frilly apron, and the cap that I really love myself in. You can't say it
doesn't suit me, Mill----, Miss Million."

The scandalised Million stared at me as we stood there in her hotel
bedroom; a sturdy, trim little dark-haired figure in her new princesse
petticoat that showed her firmly developed, short arms, helping me to
put away the drifts of superfluous tissue-paper that had enwrapped her
trousseau. I myself had never been so well dressed as in this dainty
black-and-white livery.

She exclaimed in tones of horror: "But you can't sit down to afternoon
tea with two young gentlemen in your cap and apron!"

"Of course not. I shan't be sitting down with them at all."

"What?"

"I shan't be having tea with you in the drawing-room," I explained.
"Naturally I shall not appear this afternoon."

"Wha--what'll you do, then?"

"What does a good lady's-maid do? Sit in her bedroom, sorting her
mistress's new lingerie and sewing name-tapes on to her mistress's silk
stockings----"

"What! And leave me alone, here?" remonstrated my mistress shrilly. "Me
sit here by mys