nstead, and held out her hand
to the tall, thin, mannishly dressed young woman behind Mrs.
Crosswaithe, who, though Robin did not know it, was Mrs. Crosswaithe's
daughter.

For an hour the guests arrived in as steady a stream as their
high-powered cars could carry them through the heavy roads. The Manor
had not been opened like this for years and the "best people in the
county" took advantage of the opportunity to look for signs of failing
fortunes, to see the "girl" who had come to the Manor, and to find out
just where Madame was travelling. Thanks to Budge's heroic work no one
discovered any sign of change in the old house; their questioning only
met with disappointment, and Budge's food was of much more interest than
the young heiress who, they decided, was a pretty little thing but much
too small for her age.

Robin shook hands until her arm ached, mumbled the wrong thing most of
the time which, however, did not seem to make any difference with
anyone, and kept one eye longingly on the window, and one ear listening
for the shouts outside which were growing louder and louder. She seized
an opportunity to go to the window and watch, so that when the great
Mrs. Granger arrived Mr. Tubbs had to, a little sharply, recall her to
her duty.

"Isn't she--awful?" whispered Robin to Beryl, as Mrs. Granger, after
condescendingly patting Robin's hand, swept on.

"She thinks _she's_ so grand, but she ought to see the Queen!" Which
observation would have enraged Mrs. Granger, had she heard it, for she
had felt particular satisfaction in her dress and hat, sent on, only the
day before, from the most expensive shop in New York.

"Miss Alicia didn't come--she's in California. Say, Robin, there's a
Granger boy, 'bout eighteen. Maybe that's why my lady Granger's so sweet
to you."

"Silly!" Robin flung at Beryl in retort. "Oh, dear, can't I go out to my
own guests now?"

Robin and Williams had planned that the children should be admitted to
the conservatory through a side door, leaving their outer garments in a
vestibule. So, when everything was in readiness for them, Harkness gave
the sign, and Williams herded his noisy troupe to the house.

Many of the older guests had been present at that memorable birthday
party on young Christopher's eighteenth birthday and they recalled now,
over their salad plates, the brilliancy of that affair and touched upon
all that had happened since in the way of change. Mrs. Granger displayed
mu