Soon after this the two girls left the tea-party, and while Jenny dressed herself to go down to the theater, they discussed Mr. Z. Trewhella.
"Did you ever hear anyone talk so funny. Oh, May, I nearly split myself for laughing. Oh, he talks like a coon."
"I thought he talked like a gramaphone that wants winding up," said May.
"But what a dreadful thing to talk like that. Poor man, it's a shame to laugh at him, though, because he can't help it." Jenny was twisting round to see that no dust lay on the back of her coat.
"I wonder what he'll think of you dancing," May speculated. "But I don't expect he'll recognize you."
"I think he will, then," contradicted Jenny as she dabbed her nose with the powder-puff. "Perhaps you never noticed, but he looked at me very funny once or twice."
"Did he?" said May. "Well, I'm jolly glad it wasn't me or I should have had a fit of the giggles."
Presently, under the scud of shifting clouds, Jenny hurried through the windy shadows of twilight down to the warm theater. When she was back in the bedroom that night, May said:
"He went to see you dance and he's going again to-morrow night and all the time he's in London, and he wants you and me to go to tea again to-morrow."
"I've properly got off," laughed Jenny, as down tumbled her fair hair, and with a single movement she shook it free of a day's confinement.
"Yes, all right. Only his clothes smell funny. Lavingder or something. I suppose they've been put away for donkey's years. Well, get on with it, young May, and tell us some more about this young dream."
"You date," laughed her sister. "But don't make fun of the poor man."
"Oh, well, he is an early turn, now isn't he, Maisie? What did dad say to him?"
"Oh, dad. If beer came from cows, dad would have had plenty to say."
"You're right," agreed Jenny, standing rosy-footed in her nightgown. She gave one critical look at her image in the glass, as if in dreams she meant to meet a lover, then put out all lights and with one leap buried herself in the bedclothes.
On the following afternoon during tea Mr. Trewhella scarcely took his eyes off Jenny.
"Well, how did you enjoy the ballet?" she inquired.
"I don't know so much about the ballet. I was all the time looking for one maid in that great old magic lantern of a place, and when I found her I couldn't see her so well as I wanted. But, darn'ee, I will to-night. William John!"