"Oh, yes, to be sure...there has been so much to think of...but your names
are so often in the society columns...it seems to me I recall that one of
you is the daughter of a famous judge--"
"Boughton. He's under indictment, you know, for graft, bribery, and
corruption."
"Oh...ah...how unfortunate," Miss Halsey's jaw fell. Even she had
heard--vaguely in her studio--of the scandal of Judge Boughton, and she
wondered how she had been so absent-minded as to invite a member of his
family to the club.
"You see," said Aileen coolly. "I am not fit to associate with your
members, and as Miss Featherhurst is still my loyal friend, we'll just go
over and sit in a corner--"
"Indeed you shall do nothing of the kind. You are our guests, and--please
for this evening forget everything else."
"You nasty little beast," hissed Alexina into Aileen's discomforted ear.
"She's worth two of you."
"So she is," said Aileen contritely, "I'll behave better."
Miss Halsey, who had been signaling several members and rounding up others,
returned, Alexina blazed her eyes at Aileen, who murmured hastily to the
hostess: "I was just joking. I am Judge Lawton's daughter, and this is Mrs.
Mortimer Dwight, Gora's sister-in-law. I'd never have told such a whopper
but I'm so nervous and shy. I didn't think I could go through the ordeal."
"Oh, you poor child. Well, you'll find we're not terrible in the least.
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