Josephine Dredlinton, with a smile which gave to her face a singularly sweet expression, deprecated the disturbance which her coming had caused amongst the little company.

The four men had risen to their feet.
Kendrick was holding a chair for her.

She apparently knew every one intimately except Wingate, and Sarah hastened to present him.
"Mr.Wingate--the Countess of Dredlinton," she said.

"Mr.Wingate has just arrived from New York, Josephine, and he wants to know which are the newest plays worth seeing and the latest mode in men's ties." A somewhat curious few seconds followed upon Sarah's few words of introduction.

Wingate stood drawn to his fullest height, having the air of a man who, on the point of making his little conventional movement and speech, has felt the influence of some emotion in itself almost paralysing.