But Connie regarded a newspaper at breakfast as a necessary part of life.
After her coffee, accordingly, she read _The Times_, and smoked a cigarette, proceedings which were a daily source of wonder to Nora and reprobation in the minds of Mrs.Hooper and Alice.

Then she generally wrote her letters, and was downstairs after all by half past ten, dressed and ready for the day.

Mrs.Hooper declared to Dr.Ewen that she would be ashamed for any of their Oxford friends to know that a niece of his kept such hours, and that it was a shocking example for the servants.

But the maids took it with smiles, and were always ready to run up and down stairs for Lady Connie; while as for Oxford, the invitations which had descended upon the Hooper family, even during the few days since Connie's arrival, had given Aunt Ellen some feverish pleasure, but perhaps more annoyance.

So far from Ewen's "position" being of any advantage to Connie, it was Connie who seemed likely to bring the Hoopers into circles of Oxford society where they had till now possessed but the slenderest footing.