Why does SHE want me? She's never seen me!" Her tone implied that she
had long been accustomed to being "wanted" by those who had.

Mrs. Heeny laughed. "HE saw you, didn't he?"

"Who? Ralph Marvell? Why, of course he did--Mr. Popple brought him to
the party here last night."

"Well, there you are... When a young man in society wants to meet a girl
again, he gets his sister to ask her."

Undine stared at her incredulously. "How queer! But they haven't all
got sisters, have they? It must be fearfully poky for the ones that
haven't."

"They get their mothers--or their married friends," said Mrs. Heeny
omnisciently.

"Married gentlemen?" enquired Mrs. Spragg, slightly shocked, but
genuinely desirous of mastering her lesson.

"Mercy, no! Married ladies."

"But are there never any gentlemen present?" pursued Mrs. Spragg,
feeling that if this were the case Undine would certainly be
disappointed.

"Present where? At their dinners? Of course--Mrs. Fairford gives the
smartest little dinners in town. There was an account of one she gave
last week in this morning's TOWN TALK: I guess it's right here among my