wandered in from some gay Venetian masquerade.

She was now sitting between the millionaire, James Tapster, and her own
friend, Bill Donnington. When she had heard that she had been placed
next Donnington, Bubbles had pouted. "I'd rather have had Sir Lyon," she
exclaimed, "or even the old 'un!"--for so she irreverently designated
Helen Brabazon's uncle, Mr. Burnaby.

But Blanche Farrow had been firm. Sir Lyon must of course be on her own
right hand, Mr. Burnaby on her left. It is always difficult to arrange a
party of four ladies and five men. She had suggested more than one other
pleasant woman to make up the party to ten, but Varick had had some
objection to each--the objection usually taking the line that the person
proposed would not "get on" with the Burnabys.

Blanche again wondered why their host had been so determined to have
Helen Brabazon at his first house-party, if her coming meant the
inclusion of her tiresome uncle and aunt? And then she felt a little
ashamed of herself. One of the best points about Lionel Varick was his
sense of gratitude to anyone who had done him a good turn. Gratitude had
been the foundation of their own now many-year-long friendship.

The food was so very good, there was so much of it, and doubtless those
who had journeyed down to Wyndfell Hall to-night were all so hungry,
that there was rather less talk going on round the table than might have
been expected. But now and again the hostess caught a fleeting
interchange of words. She heard, for instance, old Miss Burnaby
informing young Donnington that she had been a good deal on the
Continent as a young woman, and had actually spent a year in Austria a
matter of forty years ago.