Clara laughed harshly and played with her fan.
"Dear me, Mimsey! . . . you are perfectly outrageous! Do you think I'm an ogress ready to eat her up? On the contrary, I mean to be a friend to her."
Mrs. Marvelle still looked grave.
"I'm glad to hear it," she said; "only some friends are worse than declared enemies."
Lady Winsleigh shrugged her shoulders.
"Go along, Mimsey,--go home to bed!" she exclaimed impatiently. "You are insensé! I hate sentimental philosophy and copy-book platitudes!" She laughed again and folded her hands with an air of mock penitence, "There! I didn't mean to be rude! Good-night, dear old darling!"
"Good-night, Clara!" and Mrs. Marvelle, summoning her timid husband from some far corner, where he had remained in hiding, took her departure with much stateliness.
A great many people were going down to supper by this time, but Sir Philip was tired of the heat and glare and noise, and whispered as much to Thelma, who at once advanced to bid her hostess farewell.
"Won't you have some supper?" inquired her ladyship. "Don't go yet!"
But Thelma was determined not to detain her husband a moment longer than he wished--so Lady Winsleigh, seeing remonstrances were of no avail, bade them both an effusive good-night.
"We must see a great deal of each other!" she said, pressing Thelma's hands warmly in her own: "I hope we shall be quite dear friends!"
"Thank you!" said Thelma, "I do hope so too, if you wish it so much. Good-night, Lord Winsleigh!"
"Let me escort you to your carriage," said her noble host, at once offering her his arm.
"And allow me to follow," added Beau Lovelace, slipping his arm through Errington's, to whom he whispered, "How dare you, sir! How dare you be such a provokingly happy man in this miserable old world?" Errington laughed--and the little group had just reached the door of the drawing-room when Thelma suddenly turned with a look of inquiry in her eyes.
"Where is Mr. Lorimer?" she said. "I have forgotten to say good-night to him, Philip."
"Here I am, Lady Errington," and Lorimer sauntered forward with rather a forced smile,--a smile which altogether vanished, leaving his face strangely pale, as she stretched out her hand to him, and said laughingly-"You bad Mr. Lorimer! Where were you? You know it would make me quite unhappy not to wish you good-night. Ah, you are a very naughty brother!"