Mrs.
Hanway-Harley declared that Dorothy's desertion was disgraceful at a moment when she, her mother, needed her help to entertain their visitor.
With that, Dorothy's indisposition yielded, and she so far recovered as to play her part at table with commendable spirit, eating quite as much as her mother, who was no one to dine like a bird.

But Dorothy took her revenge; she talked of nothing but Richard, and the conversations on politics which he and "Uncle Pat" indulged in during those eleven-o'clock calls.
Storri glowered; more, he became aware of Richard as the daily comrade of Dorothy.

Mrs.Hanway-Harley herself was struck by some shadow of the truth; but she got no more than what Scotchmen call a "glisk," and she gave the matter no sufficient weight.

Later, she clothed it with more importance.
Mrs.Hanway-Harley, however, was moved to reprove Dorothy from out the wealth of her experiences.
"Child," said she, when Storri was gone, "you should never try to entertain one gentleman by telling him about another; it only makes him furious." "I didn't, mamma," said Dorothy, her eyes innocently round.
"You did, only you failed to notice it," returned Mrs.Hanway-Harley.
"After this, be more upon your guard." "I will, mamma," replied Dorothy demurely; but she was too sly to say against what she should guard.
On the next Storri evening, Dorothy returned to the old ruse.

She set a lamp in her chamber window, the effect of the beacon being that Bess came across from her house, as the clock scored eight and one-half, and joined the Harley party.