d arrive, doubting
whether they would become sufficiently intimate with Mary to tell her
all their little domestic secrets, and do their work in the presence
of their new friend during the first day of her sojourn in the house.
So they toiled like slaves on the Wednesday and Thursday in order
that they might walk about like ladies on the Friday and Saturday.

But the list of their guests gave them more trouble than aught else.
Whom should they get to meet Mrs. Butler Cornbury? At one time Mrs.
Tappitt had proposed to word certain of her invitations with a
special view to this end. Had her idea been carried out people who
might not otherwise have come were to be tempted by a notification
that they were especially asked to meet Mrs. Butler Cornbury. But
Martha had said that this she thought would not do for a dance.
"People do do it, my dear," Mrs. Tappitt had pleaded.

"Not for dancing, mamma," said Martha. "Besides, she would be sure to
hear of it, and perhaps she might not like it."

"Well, I don't know," said Mrs. Tappitt. "It would show that we
appreciated her kindness." The plan, however, was abandoned.

Of the Baslehurst folk there were so few that were fitted to meet
Mrs. Butler Cornbury! There was old Miss Harford, the rector's
daughter. She was fit to meet anybody in the county, and, as she was
good-natured, might probably come. But she was an old maid, and was
never very bright in her attire. "Perhaps Captain Gordon's lady would
come," Mrs. Tappitt suggested. But at this proposition all the girls
shook their heads. Captain Gordon had lately taken a villa close to
Baslehurst, but had shown himself averse to any intercourse with the
townspeople. Mrs. Tappitt had called on his "lady," and the call
had not even been returned, a card having been sent by post in an
envelope.

"It would be no good, mamma," said Martha, "and she would only make
us uncomfortable if she did come."

"She is always awfully stuck up in church," said Augusta.

"And her nose is red at the end," said Cherry.

Therefore no invitation was sent to Captain Gordon's house.

"If we could only get the Fawcetts," said Augusta. The Fawcetts were
a large family living in the centre of Baslehurst, in which there
were four daughters, all noted for dancing, and noted also for being
the merriest, nicest, and most popular girls in Devonshire. There was
a fat good-natured mother, and a thin good-natured father who had
once been a banker at Exeter.