.

    But as soon as I realised it must be a practical joke, I kne alone in ts apparent emptiness  of terribly self-conscious. No cep; ried t I e of myself, I felt a faint panic, stifled it. . . No, you are not at their mercy.

    tly empty. Closed doors on eitaircase s up to an empty landing. Am I to meet my s in embarrassment and ion, ;boo!quot; -- out of ains to make fun of me? A ravagant arrangement of arum lilies s not altoget in borrory squires gear. I t, s eaten too mucs time. Come, no bread and margarine be grandmas  of t broken doance.

    to my relief but also my increased disquiet, I sa  me be , pretty face, streaming blonde  sprang out quite suddenly from tions of t  of foot -- artled movement urbed the chandelier, again.

    ting apparition let me kno;;) ited clo door I came to on ting to discover my tittering audience aing me.

    It ly empty.

    A ion room, all bleacables of glass and cefacts of e velvet. Company ed; ters, boempted to s-glass tumbler full of someto snatced almonds -- I  pub sand it o be caug by t ten in the deep cushioning of an armchair.

    a doll so muctle ; ter at ty guineas at t of t e satin pyjamas tons do, all complete, and t autic pout of comic sadness on , poor old felloy e from an imperious tuning fork, from beyond ter a startled moment, I sprang into the dining room, summoned.

    I  dining room, except at t even at t Melissa. Fifteen covers laid out on a tongue-s of glass; but I ime to take in tal, because t