Cornie says her father is in the Cabinet, and her mother is a shining intellectual light.

And now that I've been warned beforehand, I'll not be able to utter a syllable of sense; I know that I'll just gibber." When she went to her room to dress for the occasion that night there was a great hunch of hot-house roses waiting for her with Jane's card.
She knew from the other girls' description of this opening festivity that the seniors spared no expense on this occasion, but it rather overawed her to receive such an extravagant offering.

She looked across at the modest bunch of white and purple violets which had come from the Warwick Hall conservatory for Ethelinda, and wondered if there had not been some mistake.

Then to her surprise, Ethelinda, who had noticed her glance, spoke to her.
"Sweet, aren't they! Miss Berkeley sent them, or rather Lady Evelyn, I should say.

She is to be my escort to-night." It was Mary's besetting sin to put people right whom, she thought were mistaken, so she answered hastily, "Oh, no! You oughtn't to call her Lady Evelyn.