"

Jenny gave a little sigh, as she thought of her favourite ribbon, and
Patty looked at her in wonderment, that she should be so sensitive to
colour and texture. But her taste in colours did not seem to extend to
her clothes. Jenny was a pale little thing, with ashy blonde hair, and
large, light blue eyes. She wore a nondescript tan-coloured dress,
without tone or shape; and she had a weary, exhausted air, as if
chronically tired.

Conversation was a little difficult. The four hostesses tried their
best to be entertaining without being patronising, but it was not an
easy task. At least, their advances were not easily received, and the
guests seemed to be on the alert to resent anything that savoured of
patronage. But help came from an unexpected quarter. Just at one
o'clock Mrs. Greene arrived.

"My land!" she exclaimed, as she entered the room, "if this isn't grand!
I wouldn't of missed it for a farm! You see, I waited out on the corner,
till it was just one o'clock. I know enough to get to a party just on
the minute. My bringin' up was good, if I have fell off a little since.
But my folks was always awful particular people,--wouldn't even take
their pie in their hands. My husband, now, he was different. He wasn't a
fool, nor he wasn't much else. But I only had him a year, and then he up
and got killed in a rolling mill. Nice man, John, but not very
forth-putting. So I've shifted for myself ever since. Not that I've done
so awful well. I'm slow, I am. I never was one o' those to sew with a
hot needle and a scorching thread, but I do my stent right along. But,
my! how I do rattle on! You might think I don't often go in good
society. Well, I don't! So I must make the most of this chance."

Mrs. Greene's chatter had been broken in upon by introductions and
greetings, but that bothered her not at all. She nodded her head
affably at the different ones, but kept right on talking.

So Mona was fairly obliged to interrupt her.

"Now, let us go out to luncheon," she said, after the maid had
announced it twice.

"Glad to," said Mrs. Greene. "Oh, my land! what a pretty sight!"

She stood stock still in the doorway, and had to be urged forward, in
order that the others might follow.

"Well, I didn't know a table _could_ look so handsome!" she went on.
"My land! I s'pose it's been thirty years since I've went to a real
party feast, and then, I can tell you, it wasn't much like this!"

Probably not, for Mona's table, wi