“Come, let us play bridge.”

They went on into the other room, and Theodora and Lord Bracondale were left quite alone.

“I should like to find Josiah,” said Theodora.  “Shall we not go, too?”

And they also followed upon the others’ heels.  Lady Ada happened to be out at her table, and some tardy sense of her duties as a hostess came to her, for she crossed over to where Theodora stood by the door and made some ordinary remark about hoping it would be fine on the morrow so they could enjoy the gardens.

And while she talked and looked into the blue eyes something attracted and softened her.  She was very gentle and pretty, after all, the new niece, she decided, and Mildred had been quite wrong in saying she was an upstart and must be snubbed.

Lady Ada had a nervous way of blinking her light lashes in a fashion which suggested she might suffer from headache.

To Theodora she seemed a sad woman, full of cares, and she felt a kindly pity for her and no resentment for her rudeness.

Mildred looked up, and a frown of annoyance darkened her face.

The “creature” should certainly not make a conquest of her hostess if she could help it!

It was the first time Theodora had ever been into a company of people like this, and her eyes wandered over the scene when Lady Ada had to go back to her place.

“Tell me what you are thinking of?” said Hector, in her ear.

“I was thinking,” she answered, “it is so interesting to watch people’s faces.  It seems to me so queer a way to spend one’s time, the whole of one’s intelligence set upon a game of cards and a few pieces of money for hours and hours together.”

“They don’t look attractive, do they?” he laughed.

“No, they look haggard, and worried, and old,” she said.  “Even the young ones look old and watchful, and so intent and solemn.”

Lady Harrowfield had been losing heavily, and a deep mauve shade glowed through all her paint.  She was a bad loser, and made all at her table feel some of her chagrin and wrath.  In fact, candidates for the light of her smile found it advisable to let her win when things became too unpleasant.

There was a dreary silence over the room, broken by the scoring and remarks upon the games, and those who were out wandered into the saloon beyond, where iced drinks of all sorts were awaiting the weary.

“Every one must enjoy themselves how they can, of course,” said Theodora.  “It is absurd to try and make any one else happy in one’s own way, but oh, I hope I shall not have to pass the time like that, ever!  I don’t think I could bear it.”

The voices became raised at the table where Josiah sat.  He had made some gross mistake in the game and his partner was being fretful over it.  Her complaints amounted to real rudeness when the counting began.  She had lost twenty pounds on this rubber, all through his last foolish play, she let it be known.