shed" young
ladies. Cynthia and Betty wondered how much finished, and whether
finished enough to look down with contempt upon unfinished damsels still
undergoing the thraldom of "classes!"

It was a thrilling occasion when they were bidden to tea "to meet my
sisters," and Betty felt she would hardly have had courage to face the
ordeal but for the fact of a new blouse and that fascinating buckle on
her belt. She had a sensation of being all arms and legs--a horrible,
almost forgotten remnant of schoolroom days--as she crossed Mrs
Vanburgh's drawing-room to be introduced to the two strange figures on
the sofa.

One was dark and one was fair; both possessed a wonderful wealth of
beautiful glossy hair, gold in the one case, in the other brown, rolling
back from the brow in upstanding pompadours, which were, however, more
picturesque than stiff, and rolled into coil after coil at the back of
the neck. Done-up hair--that was very "finished" indeed! Both were
distinctly good-looking, and the younger, though the smaller of the two,
possessed a personality which at once seemed to constitute her mistress
of the ceremonies. Both were perfectly at ease, and so full of
conversation that they talked both at the same time, emphasising every
second or third word after a quaint fashion of their own which Betty
found very amusing.

They were fear-fully pleased to see her. They had heard such _reams_
about her from Nan. It was so charming for Nan to have girl friends.
Nan was _devoted_ to girls. It was such _sport_ to be staying with Nan.
They had been simply _dying_ to live in town. My dear, they had not a
_rag_ to wear! Nobody wore decent clothes in Germany. Frumps, my dear,
per-fect frumps! They were on their own allowance. Was Betty on her
own allowance? Lucky girl! It was simply _agonising_ to have to buy
_everything_ you needed on a quarter's allowance. They had lain awake
for _hours_ considering the problem. They were in _despair_! Nan had
given them each a dress for Christmas. Nan was an _angel_! They wanted
Nan to give a dance for them while they were in town.

Betty's heart leapt, but Mrs Vanburgh shook her head, and said--

"Sorry, but Nan can't! Mother wouldn't like it, as you have only just
left school, and are not properly out yet."

"Well, I shall _leak_ out, then! I am not going to wait another year,
if I know it. There's a dance coming on at home in February, and I'm
going to it, or my name i