“It would not surprise me if that van-driver was the worse for drink,” he said severely. “A most uncalled-for piece of impertinence. What were we saying? Oh yes, about Elizabeth. I’m taking her to Mrs. Carfew’s dance on Wednesday, and perhaps to the Opera next week.”

“Who are the Carfews?” Mr. Hengist asked.

“Oh, some people Anne called on not so long ago. I know old Carfew in the City, and now that Elizabeth is ‘out’ I thought it might be as well for Anne to call on Mrs. Carfew. I am making a point of getting to know more people.”

“You’re certainly doing your duty, even if it is belated,” Mr. Hengist admitted grudgingly. “Is your sister going to the dance too?”

Lawrence decided to ignore the first half of this speech; one had to make allowances for Hengist, poor chap. He was becoming quite a crusty old bachelor.

“Well, it’s rather difficult,” he said. “The invitation is for Elizabeth and ‘partner.’ I must say, this new custom of expecting a girl to bring her own partner to a dance is a very strange one. I am not at all sure that I approve of it. However, I suppose one must remember autres temps, autres moeurs, and as it happened Elizabeth was able to ask the Benson boy to accompany her. There was no invitation either to me or to Anne. Manners are sadly lacking nowadays. Still, I should hardly think that Mrs. Carfew would object to the presence of an extra man, so I shall go too.”

“Why?” asked Mr. Hengist. “Elizabeth doesn’t need a chaperon at a private dance—or at any other for that matter.”

“It is not a question of chaperoning her,” Lawrence explained. “It’s only natural that I should wish to be present at my little girl’s first dance. It’s a great pity that Anne cannot come too.”

Elizabeth herself was looking forward to the dance with mixed feelings. She wished that she knew the Carfews better, or at any rate, Miss Carfew, who at first sight seemed rather alarming. Smartly dressed athletic girls frightened Elizabeth, who was sure that they despised her, and she could never think of anything to talk about with them. Then, too, she had read in books of girls finding themselves partnerless. How humiliating that would be, but how still more dreadful if she found herself unable to follow a man’s style of dancing! She wondered what you said to your partner; whether you made the conversation or whether he did.