Miss Slicker waved her arms wildly." Oh, please stop, and let me guess," she cried. "I shall go crazy with joy if I'm right. It was an old Peerage, and so she found that Lady Deal was Helena Herman--""Whom she had seen ten years ago at a music hall as a male impersonator," cried Diva." And didn't want to know her," interrupted Miss Slicker." Yes, that's it, but that is not all. I hope you won't mind, but it's too rich. She saw you this morning coming out of your house in your bath-chair, and was quite sure that you were that Lady Deal." The three ladies rocked with laughter. Sometimes one recovered, and sometimes two, but they were re-infected by the third, and so they went on, solo and chorus, and duet and chorus, till exhaustion set in." But there's still a mystery," said Diva at length, wiping her eyes. "Why did the Peerage say that Lady Deal was Helena Herman?"" Oh, that's the last Lady Deal," said Miss Slicker. "Helena Herman's Lord Deal died without children and Florence's Lord Deal, my Lady Deal, succeeded. Cousins."" If that isn't a lesson for Elizabeth Map," said Diva. "Better go to the expense of a new Peerage than make such a muddle. But what a long call we've made. We must go."" Florence shall hear every word of it to-morrow night," said Miss Slicker. "I promise not to tell her till then. We'll all tell her."" Oh, that is kind of you," said Diva." It's only fair. And what about Miss Map being told?"" She'll find it out by degrees," said the ruthless Diva. "It will hurt more in bits."" Oh, but she mustn't be hurt," said Miss Slicker. "She's too precious, I adore her."" So do we," said Diva. "But we like her to be found out occasionally. You will, too, when you know her.

© Spoligo | 2025 All rights reserved