in New York? She hoped so, and almost believed they
would, for she understood from novels and what she had learned in
London, that the "smart people" only "ran into town for the theatre
and that sort of thing" in winter. Now it was October--almost winter.
And in the automobile it was only an hour and twenty-five minutes from
Sea Gull Manor (Ena had named the new place herself) to New York.

Besides, in the country the visitors wouldn't so easily find out that
the family hadn't got "into" things--the things that mattered. Of
course they could see what the family _was_. They could see that
anywhere, alas! But poor father and mother were better against a
country background. And foreigners might attribute some quaint tricks
of manner and speech to their being Americans, just as she and Peter
hadn't known how awful the cockney accent was until they had been told
by English people.

Oh, it was lovely over there! Nobody snubbed her. She would give
anything to live on that side all her life, married to a man of title,
and go home occasionally, to pay back the proud cats who had
scratched. Meanwhile, it would be a step on the golden ladder to
flaunt Lord Raygan and his mother and Eileen as guests. Then, if Rags
could swallow the family and propose (as sometimes she thought he
contemplated doing), how wonderful it would be! Her ideal
accomplished!

No golliwog on earth should be allowed to defeat this end. For the
addition of a model, dressmaking golliwog to the family would be the
final obstacle. Lord Raygan was now undecided. He was perhaps waiting
to see how the rest of the Rollses shaped up. If he could stand them
as relations, all would be well. All _must_ be well!

That night Win wore for her walk a long blue coat in place of the
mackintosh. It was shabby, but becoming; and her dark hair was tucked
into a close-fitting cap of the same blue as the cloak. She knew what
was due to happen at half-past eight, and though grateful to Mr. Balm
of Gilead, dreaded the result of his kindness.

Miss Rolls would be the first American girl she had ever met; but she
knew how an English girl would feel about being introduced to a vague
waif picked up by a brother in a dressmaker's showroom on shipboard.
It would have been ungracious to refuse the offered introduction so
well meant, but the fifth dryad was not looking forward to it with
pleasurable sensations.

When she saw the brother and sister coming toward her, however, the
smil