I think it's such a mistake to wear real flowers on an evening dress. They have a damp, chilly look, like fresh vegetables, at first, and wh

basket of American Beauty roses. The day be

, he's got the nice sort of Boston idea that a man ought only to send a girl flower

f thing-I mean fuss and attention, to girls in America. I th

eculation at all. I happen to know that Van Buren is going to propose to you. He'll probably do it at Henley or at Sandown, or in the Par

down and lo

im do it. It will be so frightfully

le meeting the man to wh

han't be eng

y n

ever marry

ared at her

won't be eighteen till June. You can

n't care fo

you liked h

t first. But I simply could

pet! But he mightn

marked attention. Valentia

ly? Who'd hav

so considerate and so tho

n you were married," sa

gement! Oh! I couldn't simply stand the engagement! Just think of the ring, and the sentiment, and the fuss,

said Valentia sympathet

ry's, and knew all the right people, and all that sort of thing? And he'd take a big house-he's hinted this to me alre

And you know, Daphne, you do like pretty things and clothes, and going everywhere, and-not only that, he's really such a dear, and a good sort, a

. I don't want to. Don't let it come to that.

hy

d make m

lly as your reason for not

e I don'

lentia. "That's what's the m

r funny, and always making jokes? That bores me frightfully. Harry's way of being lively and clever bores me to death! I don't want t

arry Harry Lauder, Daphne dear. But wouldn't

to marry a man so horribly clever tha

e's just twenty-two, and has only a miserable allowance, and is in an expensive regiment, and you, darling, will only have three hundred a year. I should love to see you happy in your own wa

me the day we were introduced-at Princ

see. Even if he could afford it, I don't think it would be a s

laughs," said Dap

ery nice to you about this, dear. I ought to scold you. But

e, of cou

sn't ever kisse

Valen

n, darling. I fel

urse h

as!-W

here we've ever met. He always does, whenever

enough for that!" sai

d the only person I eve

said Valentia; "and poo

lly," said Dap

ou think

dea-the sort of thing he wa

y-four who could marry any one he chose would be more

uine like Cyri

earth'

ain F

round the room

se you're going to ad

cy ball with us." She kissed her. "And, oh, do tell Harry to explain to Van that it can't go on, that he mus

ell-brought-up youn

jolly way he has of saying 'Righto' and 'You're all ri

says such brillia

t what h

m a word about it. Well, I'll think it over." She

nd then seeing that silly boy now and then. You'd so soon get tired of hi

," said Daphne definitely, "

it. It isn't only the hard-upness and the impossibility-of course, I know he's got relati

o much now,"

s bitterly disappointed when he realised that the possibility of his being left alone with his wife was more remote, but of course he agreed with Vale