room without announcing herself, an unpardonable breach
of etiquette at Wellington, as well it might be anywhere. Lately she had
made herself very much at home at No. 5, lounging on the divan with a
novel between lectures, or occupying the most comfortable chair while
she jotted down notes on a tablet. Nance called her "the intruder" to
Molly, and once she had even ventured to remark to Judy:

"I should think your friend would know that it's customary to knock on a
door before opening it."

"It's because she's never had any privacy," explained Judy
apologetically. "She was brought up in a New York flat and slept on a
parlor sofa all her life until two years ago when her father began
suddenly to make money."

"Being brought up in a parlor ought to give her parlor manners," Nance
thought, but she had not voiced her thought to the sensitive Judy, who
really had not intended to force Adele Windsor on her chums. It was only
that Adele had a way of taking for granted she was _persona grata_, that
Nance thought was rather too free.

Molly, always polite to guests whether welcome or not, greeted Adele
cordially and made her a cup of tea.

"We were just discussing Otoyo Sen's funny little father," she
explained, in order to draw Adele into the conversation. "He's been here
to call--the queerest English!" And Molly repeated some of Mr. Sen's
absurd speeches.

Adele listened with interest. She was always interested in everything,
one might almost say inquisitive, and she had a peculiar way of making
people say things they regretted. Judy, artless soul, had told her
everything she knew long ago. And now, turning her intelligent dark eyes
from one to another and occasionally putting out a pointed question,
Adele succeeded in starting a new discussion on Otoyo's father. With the
most innocent intentions in the world, they imitated his voice and
manner, his stiff formal bows and his funny squeaky laugh.

It was not until later when the friends had scattered to tidy up for
supper that Molly felt any misgivings about having made fun of Otoyo's
father, and these she kept to herself, feeling, indeed, that they were
unworthy of her. Adele had not left with the others. She was to remain
for supper with Judy, and the two girls sat chatting together while
Molly took a cat-nap and Nance began clearing away the tea things.

"You shall not help," she had insisted, when Molly had offered to do her
share. "You are dead tired and I'm not,