“Not a word was spoken, so I made my way down to where the library living-room had been, not a little curious to see what would come next.  Thick portieres covered the doorway, and by them stood the butler, who asked my name.  Really, for a moment I could not remember it, I was so startled at this sudden ceremony in the house of a friend, of such long standing that I had jumped rope on the sidewalk with her, making occasional trips arm-in-arm around the corner to Taffy John’s little shop for molasses peppermints and ‘blubber rubbers.’

“My hesitation seemed to add to the distrust that my appearance had in some way created.  The butler also swept me from head to foot with his critical stare, and at the same moment I became internally aware that I had forgotten to remove my arctic over-boots.  Never mind, my gown was long, I would curl up my toes, but return to the dressing-room in full sight of that man, I whose forbears had outbowled Peter Stuyvesant, and, I fear, outdrunk him—­never!  Then the portieres flew apart, and facing a glare of bilious-hued electric light, I heard the shouted announcement of ‘Miss Doormat’ as I stumbled over a tiger rug into the room.  I believe the fellow did it on purpose.  However, it was very funny, and my rubber-soled arctics probably prevented my either coasting straight across into the open fireplace, or having a nasty fall, while the laugh that the announcement created on the part of my host, Archie Martin, saved me from an awkward moment, for from a sort of gilt throne-like arrangement at one side of the hearth, arrayed in brocaded satin gowns cut very low and very long, heads crimped to a crisp, and fastened to meagre shoulders by jewelled collars, the whole topped by a group of three ‘Prince of Wales’ feathers, Cordelia and her sister came forward two steps to greet me.

“Of course, I thought to myself, they are going to a ball later on.  I naturally made no comment, and we went in to dinner.  The dining room was very cold, as extensions usually are, and the ladies presently had white fur capes brought to cover their exposure, while I, sitting in the draught from the butler’s pantry, was grateful for my arctics.  The meal was more pretentious than edible,—­a strange commentary upon many delightful little four or at most five course affairs I had eaten in the same room.  I soon found that there was no ball in prospect, also that Cordelia and her sister seemed ill at ease, while Archie had a look of suppressed mischief on his face, which in spite of warning signals broke forth as soon as, the coffee being served, the butler left.

“One great comfort about men is that they do not take easily to being unnatural.  Archie and I, having been brought up like brother and sister from the time we went to a little mixed school over in old Clinton Hall, were always on cordial terms.

“‘Well, Lavvy,’ he began, ’I see you’re surprised at the change of base here, and I’m going to let you in on the ground floor, if Cordelia won’t.  You see, Janet (she’s not in town to-night, by the way) is coming out next month, and we are getting in training for what her mother thinks is her duty toward her, or else what they both think is their duty to society, or something else equally uncomfortable.’