But I'm not coming in to dinner, and there is no use of saying anything more about it." Annie looked at her, the tears of mortification still standing in her eyes.

"I suppose I must go and do the best I can," she said, "but, aunt, please tell me one thing.

Did you invite any other people here?
Mr Croft spoke as if he expected to see other visitors, and if they ask anything more about it, I don't know what to say." "The only other people I invited," said the old lady with a grim grin, "were the King of Norway, and the Prime Minister of Spain, and neither of them could come." Annie said no more, but hurrying back to the house, she ordered dinner to be served immediately.

At first the meal was not a very lively one.

The young hostess _pro tempore_ explained the absence of the mistress of the house by stating that she had had a nervous attack--which was quite true--and that she begged them to excuse her until after dinner.