ice man is always
considerate to girls."

Miles grunted.

"If I did go, they wouldn't speak to me all the evening! I never know
what to say to strangers. I should have to sit in a corner by myself.
There'll be a crowd of girls--you, and Betty, and Mrs Vanburgh's
sisters, and who knows how many more?"

Cynthia bowed her head in stately salute.

"You would not be ungallant enough to insinuate that there could be too
many! It will be your proud privilege to introduce a masculine element
into the assembly."

"Humph!"

"It likewise appears probable to me that Mrs Vanburgh may know a few
nice men besides yourself."

Betty would have said "boys," Cynthia knew better, and reaped her reward
in Miles' wavering air.

"Couldn't entertain a party for one minute, let alone ten."

"We will go into partnership then, and do it together! Ten minutes
instead of five. We'll be confederates, and show them tricks. I know a
lovely one about telling the time from the position of a poker--no! How
silly I am, I always give away the secret! You tell a _card_, not the
hour. It's quite easy. You have an imaginary clock face on the
hearthrug; twelve o'clock is the fire, and you lay the poker on the rug
with the point on the number you want--one, two, three and so on, up to
queen. For king, you simply hold it in your hand, which puzzles them
more than ever."

"What about the suits?"

"Oh, that's quite easy. When the person outside comes in, he must
notice first of all how his confederate is looking; to the left means
hearts; to the right, diamonds; upwards, clubs; downward, spades. It's
really a lovely trick. We'll rehearse it, and I'm sure you must know
many more."

"I know some balancing tips,--Georgia Magnet business. You might be the
Magnetic Lady, and I'd be the showman."

"Oh, lovely, lovely! Could you teach me really? Could I lift up a
table with two or three men sitting on it, like you see in the
advertisements?" cried Cynthia fervently, and though Miles replied,
"Rather not!" he condescended to state one or two less strenuous feats
which she might safely accomplish, and even to put her through a
preliminary drilling on the spot.

The battle was won! For the next week Mrs Vanburgh's party was the one
subject of discussion with the Trevor sisters. Betty was agitated on
the subject of her dress, and being denied a new sash, subsided into
gloom for the space of ten minutes, when with a sudden turn of the wh