Part 30 (1/2)

”Good Lord!” said Winifred, reaching out her hand. ”Let me see the cat.

A whip, eh? You could drive a coach and four through her reputation now.”

Mrs. Neff took the paper from her hand. ”Her husband got the kiddies.

Pretty little tikes, too.”

”She sold 'em for the Newport villa,” said Alice, looking over her mother's shoulder. Mrs. Neff turned on her with a glare of amazement.

”Where do you children pick up such things?”

”I'm not children,” said Alice, ”and the papers were full of it.”

”Mrs. d.i.c.ky was up here last spring for a week-end with her husband,”

said Willie. ”And so was the other man. What's his name? Later I heard that people had been talking a lot even then, but I never suspected anything till later.”

”You never would, Willie,” said Mrs. Neff. She stared at the picture.

”She's really very good-looking, and she wasn't a bad sort altogether. I wonder which one of us will be gone next winter?”

”You, probably,” Willie snickered, and the others laughed lazily. But Mrs. Neff bristled.

”I don't see why you have to laugh. Am I too old to misbehave?”

”Far from it, darling!” said Willie. ”You're just at the dangerous age.

I--er--I don't mean exactly that, either.”

Mrs. Neff turned a page hastily. ”Here's a picture of Deborah Reeve in her coming-out gown.”

”She came out so far and so fast she went right back,” said Ten Eyck, and explained to Forbes: ”Hesitated between her riding-master and her mother's chauffeur, and finally ran off with the first officer of her father's yacht. She was a born democrat.”

”Here's a snapshot of Mrs. Tom Corliss at the Meadowbrook Steeplechase.

Look, that's 'Pup' Mowat standing with her. Good Lord, he was hanging round her a year ago, and people are just beginning to notice. Haven't they been clever? A whole year under the rose and right under the public's nose.”

”Tom Corliss will be finding it out before long,” said Winifred.

”Oh no,” said Willie, ”I've discovered that the husband is always the last to find out.” And he tossed his head in careless pride at the novelty of his p.r.o.nouncement.

”Isn't Willie the observing little thing?” said Winifred. The others exchanged glances of contemptuous amus.e.m.e.nt while their host looked wise.

Persis strolled round to the divan, took Murray by the ear, and hoisted him from his place.

”No, thanks, Murray,” she said. ”I couldn't think of taking your seat.”

And dropped into it.

”What are we going to do for amus.e.m.e.nt to-night?” said Willie. ”Who wants to play auction?”

”Hus.h.!.+” said Mrs. Neff.

”Shall we have some music, then?” A general declination. ”Some singing?

A dance?”