"To-day's Thursday, and I'm engaged to lunch and spend the afternoon with Mr St Aubyn.

You know I told you all about it the very day he asked me." "Mr St Aubyn ?--I don't understand," said Aunt Charlotte, with a bewildered air.

"I have a recollection of your telling me a few days ago that you were lunching out some day or other, but----" "On Thursday, you know, I said." "Did you?
Well, but--but our friends are coming _here_ to-day! You must have been dreaming, Austin," cried Aunt Charlotte, sitting bolt upright.

"How can you have made such a blunder?
Of course you can't possibly go!" "Do you really propose, auntie, that I should break my engagement with Mr St Aubyn for the sake of entertaining people like the MacTavishes and the Cobbledicks ?" replied Austin, quite unmoved.
"But why did you fix on the same day ?" exclaimed Aunt Charlotte desperately.

"I cannot understand it.