But something had happened during the afternoon which decided what to
do about the party. They were walking west in Thirty-Third Street,
past the Waldorf, when a lady came out to get into her auto. Godmother
greeted her delightedly and introduced Mary Alice. But the lady's name
overpowered Mary Alice and completely tied her tongue during the
moment's chat.

"I used to see her a great deal, in Dresden," said Godmother when they
had gone on their way, "and she's a dear. We must go and see her as
she asked us to, and have her down to see us." Godmother spoke as if a
very celebrated prima donna at the Metropolitan Opera were no different
from any one else one might happen to know. Mary Alice couldn't get
used to it.

"I--I guess I manage better when I don't know so much," she said,
smiling rather wofully and remembering the man of many millions to whom
she had been "nice" because she thought he was homeless and hungry.

So to the "party" they went and never an inkling had Mary Alice where
it was to be or whether she was to see more captains of finance or more
nightingales of song, "or what."




VI

THE "LION" OF THE EVENING

The house they entered was not at all pretentious. It was an