I am only just awake, Mamma. We had such an enchanting evening last
night, and stayed up so late I slept like a top. We drove to the club
house in motors, and there were about six or seven women beside
ourselves and ten or twelve men all in shirt-sleeves and aprons, and
the badge of the Club, a squirrel, embroidered on their chests. I don't
know why, but I think men look attractive in shirt-sleeves. Sometimes
at home in the evening, if I am dressed first, I go into Harry's room
to hurry him up, and if I find him standing brushing his hair I always
want him to kiss me, when his valet isn't there, he looks such a
darling like that; and he always does, and then we are generally late.
But I must not think of him, because when I do I just long for him to
come back, and to rush into his arms, and of course I have got to
remain angry with him for ages yet.
How I have wandered from the delightful squirrels! Well, the one who
asked us was called Dick Seton, and as I told you he is a pet, and a
_young man!_ That is, not elderly, like the business ones we met in New
York, and not a boy like the partners at the dance, but a young man of
thirty, perhaps, with such nice curly light hair and blue eyes, and
actually _not married!_ Everything of this age is married in New York.
There was a huge slate in the kitchen with who was to do each course
written up, and it looked so quaint to see in among the serious dishes:
"Cutting Grouts for Soup"--the Countess of Chevenix assisted by Mr.
Buckle.
"Hollandaise Sauce"--The Marchioness of Valmond, Mr. Dick Seton.
And we did do ours badly, I am afraid, because there was a nice low
dresser in a cool gloomy place, and we sat down on that, and my
assistant whispered such lovely things that we forgot, and stirred all
wrong, and the head cook came and scolded us, and said we had spoilt
six eggs, and he should not give us another job; we were only fit to
arrange flowers! So we went to the dining-room, and you can't think of
the fun we had. The Club house is an old place with low rooms and all
cosey. Octavia was in there--the dining-room--helping to lay the cloth,
as she had been rather clumsy, too, and been sent away, and her young
man was as nice as mine; and we four had a superb time, as happy as
children, but Tom was nothing but a drone, for he sat with Kitty in a
window seat behind some curtains, and did not do a thing.
My one said he had never seen such a sweet squirrel as me in my apron,
and I do wish, Mamma, we could have fun like this in England; it is so
original to cook one's dinner! And when it came in, all so well
arranged, each member knowing his appointed duties, it was excellent,
the best one could taste. And everybody was witty and brilliant, and
nobody wanted to interrupt with their story before the other had
finished his. So the time simply flew until it came to dessert, and
there were speeches and toasts, and Octavia and I as the guests of
honour each received a present of a box of bonbons like a huge acorn;
but when we opened them, out of mine there jumped a darling little real
squirrel, quite tame and gentle, and coddled up in my neck and was too
attractive, so I purred to it of course and caressed it, for the rest
of the time; and Mr. Dick said it was not fair to waste all that on a
dumb animal, when there were so many deserving talking squirrels in the
room, and especially himself. I have never had such an amusing evening.
Even the quaint and rather solemn touch pleased me, of the first toast
being said between two freshly lighted candles, to those members who
were dead. The club dates from Colonial times, too, so there must have
been a number of them, and if their spirits were there in the room they
must have seen as merry a party as the old room had ever witnessed.
Dear, polite, courteous gentlemen! And I wish you had been with us,
Mamma. I came a roundabout way back alone with my "partner-in-sauce" as
we called him, in his automobile, an open one, and we just tore along
for miles as fast as we could, and though he was driving himself, he
managed to say all sorts of charming things; and when we got back to
Kitty's more people came, and we had an impromptu dance and then
supper, and all the servants had gone to bed, so we had to forage for
things in the pantry, and altogether I have never had such fun in my
life, and Octavia, too.
To-day we go back to New York and then out West, so good-bye, dearest
Mamma. I will cable you from each stopping place, and write by every
mail.
Fond love to my babies.
Your affectionate daughter,