will sing only one song at the concert; but she is sure to break
forth later on, and give us plenty. We will persuade Jane to drift
to the piano accidentally and play over, just by chance, the opening
bars of some of Velma's best things, and we shall soon hear the
magic voice. She never can resist a perfectly played accompaniment."

"Why call Madame Velma the `surprise packet'?" asked a girl, to whom
the Overdene "best parties" were a new experience.

"That, my dear," replied Lady Ingleby, "is a little joke of the
duchess's. This concert is arranged for the amusement of her house
party, and for the gratification and glorification of local
celebrities. The whole neighbourhood is invited. None of you are
asked to perform, but local celebrities are. In fact they furnish
the entire programme, to their own delight, the satisfaction of
their friends and relatives, and our entertainment, particularly
afterwards when the duchess takes us through every item, with
original notes, comments, and impersonations. Oh, Dal! Do you
remember when she tucked a sheet of white writing-paper into her
tea-gown for a dog collar, and took off the high-church curate
nervously singing a comic song? Then at the very end, you see--and
really some of it is quite good for amateurs--she trots out Velma,
or some equally perfect artiste, to show them how it really can be
done; and suddenly the place is full of music, and a great hush
falls on the audience, and the poor complacent amateurs realise that
the noise they have been making was, after all, not music; and they
go dumbly home. But they have forgotten all about it by the
following year; or a fresh contingent of willing performers steps
into the breach. The duchess's little joke always comes off."