Well?
What is it?
Ha! A telegram.

Now what horrible thing can have happened?
Who would like to guess?
I hope it is not merely some idiot who has missed a train." Amid a breathless and highly satisfactory silence, the duchess tore open the orange envelope.
Apparently the shock was of a thorough, though not enjoyable, kind; for the duchess, at all times highly coloured, became purple as she read, and absolutely inarticulate with indignation.

Jane rose quietly, looked over her aunt's shoulder, read the long message, and returned to her seat.
"Creature!" exclaimed the duchess, at last.

"Oh, creature! This comes of asking them as friends.

And I had a lovely string of pearls for her, worth far more than she would have been offered, professionally, for one song.