’To dine there, Berta?  Well, that is a strange thing!  Why, father will be close to you!’

‘Yes,’ said Ethelberta quietly.

’How I should like to see you sitting at a grand dinner-table, among lordly dishes and shining people, and father about the room unnoticed!  Berta, I have never seen a dinner-party in my life, and father said that I should some day; he promised me long ago.’

‘How will he be able to carry out that, my dear child?’ said Ethelberta, drawing her sister gently to her side.

’Father says that for an hour and a half the guests are quite fixed in the dining-room, and as unlikely to move as if they were trees planted round the table.  Do let me go and see you, Berta,’ Picotee added coaxingly.  ’I would give anything to see how you look in the midst of elegant people talking and laughing, and you my own sister all the time, and me looking on like puss-in-the-corner.’

Ethelberta could hardly resist the entreaty, in spite of her recent resolution.

‘We will leave that to be considered when I come home to-night,’ she said.  ‘I must hear what father says.’

After dark the same evening a woman, dressed in plain black and wearing a hood, went to the servants’ entrance of Mr. Doncastle’s house, and inquired for Mr. Chickerel.  Ethelberta found him in a room by himself, and on entering she closed the door behind her, and unwrapped her face.

‘Can you sit with me a few minutes, father?’ she said.

‘Yes, for a quarter of an hour or so,’ said the butler.  ’Has anything happened?  I thought it might be Picotee.’

’No.  All’s well yet.  But I thought it best to see you upon one or two matters which are harassing me a little just now.  The first is, that stupid boy Joey has got entangled in some way with the lady’s-maid at this house; a ridiculous affair it must be by all account, but it is too serious for me to treat lightly.  She will worm everything out of him, and a pretty business it will be then.’

’God bless my soul! why, the woman is old enough to be his mother!  I have never heard a sound of it till now.  What do you propose to do?’

’I have hardly thought:  I cannot tell at all.  But we will consider that after I have done.  The next thing is, I am to dine here Thursday—­that is, to-morrow.’

‘You going to dine here, are you?’ said her father in surprise.  ’Dear me, that’s news.  We have a dinner-party to-morrow, but I was not aware that you knew our people.’

‘I have accepted the invitation,’ said Ethelberta.  ’But if you think I had better stay away, I will get out of it by some means.  Heavens! what does that mean—­will anybody come in?’ she added, rapidly pulling up her hood and jumping from the seat as the loud tones of a bell clanged forth in startling proximity.

‘O no—­it is all safe,’ said her father.  ’It is the area door—­nothing to do with me.  About the dinner:  I don’t see why you may not come.  Of course you will take no notice of me, nor shall I of you.  It is to be rather a large party.  Lord What’s-his-name is coming, and several good people.’