Page:Caroline Lockhart--The Fighting Shepherdess.djvu/324

 "What for?"

" Luncheon. At one — we are very old-fashioncA I want you to meet some of our best ladies — Mrs. Sudds — Mrs. Neifkins — Mrs. Toomey — and others."

As she enumerated the guests on her fingers the tip of Mrs. Pantin^s pink tongue darted in and out with the rapierlike movement of an ant-eater.

Kate^s face hardened and she replied curtly:

" I already have had that doubtful pleasure upon an occasion, which you should remember."

Mrs. Pantin flushed. Disconcerted for a moment, she collected herself, and instead of protesting ignorance of her meaning, as she was tempted, she said candidly:

" We must let bygones be bygones, Miss Prentice, and be friends. We are older now, and wiser, aren't we? "

Kate clasped her hands behind her, a mannerism with which offending herders were familiar, and regarded Mrs. Pantin steadily.

" Older but not wiser, apparently, else you would have known better than to suggest the possibility of friendship between us. You are a poor judge of human nature, and conceited past my understanding, to imagpine that it is a matter which is entirely optional with you." With the slow one-sided smile of irony which her face sometimes wore, she bowed slightly. Then, " You will excuse me? " and passed on.