sent in by Basil. But Gerald Dallas had sent her a great bunch of violets, the ones she had worn at dinner; they were now reviving in a vase on the table beside her. And Major Ran- some, her father-in-law, had sent white roses, which fact touched and amused her. Major Ransome admired Teresa, and though he was afraid of his second wife, he was apt to be reckless with the pocket-money she allowed him.
Unfortunately, with the roses, Major Ransome had sent a note saying that he would come to lunch on the present day; and Teresa had al-already asked Gerald Dallas to lunch and go to a concert with her. It was not the Major's presence that she minded, but the amount of thought that must be spent on any meal of which he was to partake.
She and Gerald would have lunched on chops, baked potatoes, and salad; but now there must be a clear soup and a cold lobster and a cheese soufflé; and it was always touch and go with the art of Mary, the temperamental Irish cook. If she was in a bad temper, if the wind stood in the east, or she had stayed out too late the night before, the result would be disaster. Usually she liked to cook for Major Ransome, since he appreciated her success.
"Our Mr. Ransome don't care what he eats," she would say with implied reproach to Teresa. Teresa took no interest in cookery, and to her a
