will have music and other entertainments, and her limp can scarcely be
noticed now. She would be no trouble to you. You asked her to visit
you in Ireland, Esmeralda!"

"'Deed I did, and she snubbed me for my pains. I don't like Miss
Trevor, and I don't mean to give her the chance of refusing any more
invitations."

Bridgie looked aghast, as well she might, and made no attempt to hide
her discomfiture.

"But--but I told her you would! I made quite sure of it, and told her
she would have such a good time. The poor girl is counting upon it."

"And she is Bridgie's friend. Bridgie wants to bring her. That settles
the question surely!" said Geoffrey quietly. He looked across the table
with uplifted brows, and, wonder of wonders, Esmeralda blushed, and
murmured vaguely about being "much pleased."

"What a mercy it was that Geoffrey was at home! But oh, if you love me,
Pixie, never, never let Sylvia guess that we had to plead for her
invitations!" pleaded Bridgie earnestly, as the two sisters made their
way home an hour later on.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

AN "AT HOME."

Fortunately or unfortunately as the case may be, there is no hall mark
of sincerity to distinguish one invitation from another, and the printed
cards which were in due time received by Sylvia Trevor differed in no
respect from those sent to the most favoured of Esmeralda's guests.
Fortunately also the remarks with which invitations are received are not
overheard by the prospective hostess, else might she often feel her
trouble wasted, and repent when it was too late.

Mrs Hilliard's fashionable acquaintances yawned when they received her
cards, and exclaimed, "Another engagement for Thursday! We shall have
to accept, I suppose, but it's a dreadful nuisance! We can just look in
for a quarter of an hour on our way to Lady Joan's dance;" and
unfashionable Sylvia pursed up her lips and remarked to herself, "Humph!
I suppose she wants to dazzle me with the sight of her splendours.
Much `pleasure' my company will give her! I shall go, of course. I
don't think I _could_ stay quietly at home and play cribbage, and know
that Bridgie and the boys were driving away, and that I might have been
with them. Yes, I'll go, and I will get a new dress for the occasion--a
beauty! Dad said I might be extravagant once in a way, without emptying
the exchequer; and he would like me to look nice. Perhaps Bridgie will
go to town with me and help me to choose.