"Honor and I are going," says Doris, referring to the first remark. "I am not quite sure about Molly."
"O, let little Molly go! Besides," cries Lancelot with energy, "she must, as my future bride's sister, you know."
"How in the world are people to know that you and I are engaged; and even if they did, what would they care about either me or Molly? We are nothing to Sir Edward."
"Ah, true, I forgot that. But you know what country places are, Doris; and I wouldn't mind betting five pounds that before you have been in the room half an hour the fact of our engagement will have leaked out."
"Do you know much of this Sir Edward?" inquires Doris after a pause. "Is he married? Some say he is, some say he isn't."
"I don't _think_ he is," says Lancelot slowly. "I fancy I heard something about his being engaged, though."
"Because I thought he would have done nicely for Honor, or Molly perhaps."
"It strikes me there are two people who would strongly object to such an arrangement," says Mr. Ferrars, leaning back in his chair and smiling at Doris. "I don't think Dr. Sinclair would care about it, nor young Horton."
"Hugh!" she says with astonishment in her voice. "Why, nothing has been said about these two, Lancelot."
"Perhaps not," he answers lazily; "but there will be, sooner or later, you will see, my dear. Don't say anything to Molly, though; I don't think your mother wishes it. As for Sinclair, anyone can see he is fond of Honor."
"O yes, of course, I know that. But fancy Molly! My goodness, it seems only yesterday that she was in short frocks!" And Doris falls to musing.
It is finally decided that Molly _shall_ go to the ball with her sisters, and now an important question comes up. What are they all to wear?
"I would rather not go at all than go badly dressed," says Doris with a suspicion of a pout. "How _horrid_ it is to be poor! There will be all the Trevelyan family there: they are _sure_ to be, because even Lancelot knows them quite intimately, and so also of course Sir Edward must, to some extent; and they are the greatest people about this part of the world, I suppose. I can just imagine how Lady Anne will put up her eye-glass and examine us from top to toe."
"I don't care if she does," says Molly promptly. "You can afford to be looked at, Doris, for you are a hundred times better looking than she is, and you are sure to get a lot more partners, notwithstanding her title."