and presently it seemed to me that my fellow-guests smiled here and there and looked significant.  Lady Ardaragh talked more than ever to the blase-looking young lord who was her neighbour and her colour was heightened.  Her witticisms came to me across the table, or a portion of them, and I thought she was saying wild, unbecoming things.  I was sure I saw Sir Arthur wince when I turned to him.  But it was all too much of a nightmare to myself to be greatly concerned about the feelings of others, even those I liked very much.

At last the welcome signal was given for the ladies to leave the table.

When we had returned to the drawing-room the smart London ladies flocked together in a bevy and began chattering like a field of starlings.  Their talk seemed to be altogether of their male acquaintances, whom they called by their names—­Jack and Tom and Reggie and Algy, and so on.

Lady Ardaragh sat down by my grandmother and talked to her in a low voice.  After the excitement of the dinner she seemed to have become pale and quiet.  I could hear that she was talking about her boy, who was a great pet with Gran.  I heard her say that he was growing too fast and had been languid of late.

Mrs. Dawson came and sat by me.  She sighed with quiet satisfaction as she subsided into her chair.

“It all went off very well, dear,” she said, “didn’t it?  Dawson was very anxious that it should; and I couldn’t eat a bit for thinking of what would happen if it didn’t go off well.”

I answered her that it had gone off very well.  It was impossible to dislike her, poor soul; and it was easy to see that she had a wretched life between her husband who was an intolerant tyrant to her and the fine folk he liked to see about him now that his money was made, who were rude and neglectful to her.

“I’m glad you think that, my dear,” she said.  “Indeed, I think Dawson looked quite cheerful.  And I was very glad to see that you and Rick were making friends.  He’s a very good boy, my dear, although he’s a bit wild, having plenty of money and nothing to do but spend it.  But he’s a very kind boy to his mother.  I assure you, dear, there have been times when I wouldn’t have cared much to live if it hadn’t been for my Rick.”

It was a pitiful confession for the mistress of all this splendour; and now that the anxiety and excitement were to some extent over she looked pale and old and tired.

“I’m very glad you liked Rick,” she said, “very glad.  It isn’t like those who would care for him for his money.”  She nodded her head in the direction of the chattering group.  “I should be so glad to see my Rick married to a nice, innocent, good girl.  I haven’t been so happy this many a day as I’ve been since I’ve seen you and him making friends.”

I could not bear to tell her that I did not like her son and that nothing on earth would induce me to make friends with him, so I sat silent and said nothing; and I think it did her good to talk, for she prattled on in a gentle, monotonous way about her son’s childhood and school-days and of the kindnesses he had done her.  Apparently she thought him the finest, handsomest, best person in the world, and apparently his father thought likewise, which was a much stranger thing.  She seemed to have no reticence at all, or I had unlocked her heart.