You told us you were
coming to open the house!"

"You didn't expect I was going to work myself?" drawled Esmeralda, her
impetuous manner changing suddenly to one of drawling affectation. "The
servants have been here for a week, getting ready for our arrival. I
have nothing to look after but a few frocks, and preparations for the
fray next week! Did you expect to see me in an apron, with a duster
over my head?"

"It makes no difference to me what you wear!" said Bridgie quietly, and
at that Esmeralda laughed, and became herself once more.

"It does to me, though. The best of everything is good enough for me,
nothing less! You dear old thing, it's like old times to have you
looking at me with that solemn face. No one keeps me in order now.
Geoff tries occasionally, but it's such an evident effort that it
doesn't have much effect. It will be quite good for me to have some
family snubbings once more. This is the way to the nursery--this door!
Now, my beauty, come to mother. She's brought two new aunties to see
you!"

The beauty regarded his relations in stolid silence for a moment, then
hung his lower lip and began to howl. His mother walked him up and down
the room, striving by various blandishments to win him back to smiles,
but he kept turning his head over his shoulder to gaze at his new
relatives with an expression of agonised incredulity, as though loath to
believe that such monsters could really exist on the earth. He was very
fat and very bald, and, if the truth were told, not a beauty at all, but
Esmeralda made a fascinating mother, and was so happily deluded about
his charms that it would have been cruel to undeceive her.

Even Pixie managed for once to preserve a discreet silence, while
Bridgie's ejaculations of astonishment at size and weight passed muster
as admiration with the complacent mother and nurse.

"You shall see him again later on," Esmeralda announced, as though
anxious to soften the pain of separation, as she led her sisters from
the room. "I must show you over the house before lunch. Geoffrey had
the drawing-rooms redecorated before we were married, but this is the
first time I have been able to entertain. I wish you could come and
stay here, Bridgie, but I suppose nothing would make you desert the
boys. Never mind, you will be here every time that there is anything
going on, and it is not much fun preparing when one has a houseful of
servants. Do you remember how we used to