Miss Mackintosh waved her arms wildly." Oh, please stop, and let me guess, " she cried. "I shall go crazy with joy if I'm right. It was an old Peerage, and so she found that Lady Deal was Helena Herman--""Whom she had seen ten years ago at a music hall as a male impersonator, " cried Diva."And didn't want to know her, " interrupted Miss Mackintosh."Yes, that's it, but that is not all. I hope you won't mind, but it's too rich. She saw you this morning coming out of your house in your bath-chair, and was quite sure that you were that Lady Deal."The three ladies rocked with laughter. Sometimes one recovered, and sometimes two, but they were re-infected by the third, and so they went on, solo and chorus, and duet and chorus, till exhaustion set in." But there's still a mystery, " said Diva at length, wiping her eyes. "Why did the Peerage say that Lady Deal was Helena Herman?""Oh, that's the last Lady Deal, " said Miss Mackintosh. "Helena Herman's Lord Deal died without children and Florence's Lord Deal, my Lady Deal, succeeded. Cousins.""If that isn't a lesson for Elizabeth Mapp, " said Diva. "Better go to the expense of a new Peerage than make such a muddle. But what a long call we've made. We must go."" Florence shall hear every word of it to-morrow night, " said Miss Mackintosh. "I promise not to tell her till then. We'll all tell her."" Oh, that is kind of you, " said Diva."It's only fair. And what about Miss Mapp being told?"" She'll find it out by degrees, " said the ruthless Diva. "It will hurt more in bits."" Oh, but she mustn't be hurt, " said Miss Mackintosh. "She's too precious, I adore her."" So do we, " said Diva. "But we like her to be found out occasionally. You will, too, when you know her. . E.F. Benson
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