granny.â
âNo, noâit is I. Aunt Ursula, do for once!â Cynthia pleaded.
Mrs. Davenant glanced at her anxious face coldly.
âI do not see why it should be any satisfaction to you, butââ
âYou will!â Cynthia cried, clasping her hands. âAunt Ursula, it is perfectly sweet of you!â
âThat is settled then!â Mrs. Davenant took up a paper as though to intimate that the interview was ended.
Cynthia turned to Joan.
âIs it not perfectly delightful? About your dress? Of course you have nothingââwith a disparaging glance at the blue sergeââbut I dare say, for me, Madame Benoit would get one done in time.â
âAh, that will be my affair!â Mrs. Davenant had caught the whispered words. âDo not trouble Benoit, Cynthia. I may have lived out of the world for some time, but I imagine I am still capable of ordering my granddaughterâs dresses.â
âOh, of course, of course! You know I did not mean that, Aunt Ursula!â
Cynthia was glad to get out of the room.
âHorrid old thing!â she whispered to Joan. âHow you stand her I cannot imagine. However, you are coming to the ball, that is the great thing. I wish she would have let me order the gown, though; she is sure to get something awful. I would order you one myself, independently of her and make you change, but really there have been so many expenses of late, Reggie has been frightfully extravagant, and I have not been a bit lucky at bridge, so thatââ
âAs if I should let you! No, Granny must do her best, or her worst, and if I come to your dance like a frumpâwell, you must just turn me away, thatâs all.â
When Joan waved her last farewell to Mrs. Trewhistle, and that ladyâs motor was speeding swiftly down the drive she found a footman at her elbow.
âMrs. Davenant would be glad to see you again, miss.â Joan went slowly back to the morning-room, the momentary brightening caused by Cynthiaâs presence fading from her face.
âYou wanted me, granny?â she said on the threshold.
âYes.â Mrs. Davenant took up a fresh sheet of paper and dipped her pen in the ink. âCome in and close the door, Joan. So you are going to have your wishâyou are going to Cynthiaâs dance? And nowânow I am thinking how I can best fulfil another request of yours.â
âIndeed!â Joan raised her eyebrows slightly as she obeyed the old ladyâs request. âSo much of my own way will surely be bad for me, granny. I shall be getting a swelled head. What is this request of mine that you have in your mind now? I was under the impression that I had carefully abstained from making any.â
Mrs. Davenant watched her face keenly.
âPossibly you have forgotten this; you may even have changed your mind; it is years since I heard you mention it. But when you first cameâAh, I see you remember it!â as Joan changed colourââyou used to ask me to send for Evelyn, to find Evelyn. Well, now,â with one of the laughs that Joan hated, âI am going to write to Mr. Hurst, bidding him to set to work to find Evelyn!â
Chapter Four
âY OU LOOK just the same as usual, Joan.â
âThat does not sound complimentary,â said Joan, an amused look in her eyes. âI am afraid that if you expected a transformation you will be disappointed, Cynthia.â
âOh, you know what I mean! I thought that Aunt Ursula, having allowed you to come, would have given you heaps of new things. Not but what you look very nice, Joanââwith an apologetic kissââand as long as the gown for to-night is all rightâwhat is it like?â
Joan shrugged her shoulders.
âWhite, that is all I can tell you. A young woman came down from town to fit me, but the frock itself I have never seen.â
âJoan!â Cynthia interrupted her with a little