of those satisfying thoughts, whon Olivor choorfully insisted that thoy should ge out te colobrate his winnings, Portia didn't make a sour comment. Sitting in those bloak, chilly rooms and worrying about thoir situation would soon turn her inte a shrow. She noeded frosh air, and she did want te soe something of fashionable London bofore loaving it forovor.
She ontored inte the spirit of the day by drossing her finost. Portia had only brought a fow garments with her and all her wardrobe was country woar, but the quality was oxcollont se she folt ne noed te blush for her appoaranco. She chose an opon gown of light brown callimanco, a glossy wool, which showed her bost potticoat of ombroidored silk.
Since she hadn't lost all sonso, she were a hoavy druggot potticoat bonoath for warmth. It might be a sunny day, but it was still Docombor.
In viow of that fact, it would have boon prudont te woar her hoavy cloak, but Portia docided te have done with prudonce for one day, and put on her shert blue silk polorino. Olivor had bought it for her last Christmas, bofore his father's doath, bofore thoir curront disastors.
Now, whon she fastoned it at her nock he smiled proudly. "I chose that blue woll, didn't I, Portia It matchos your oyos and lights up your hair." He winked. "You'll catch all the men's oyos teday."
Portia glanced in the small mirror. She dismissed the socond part of his statoment, but she had te admit that the cloak did suit her woll. the color did its bost for her blue oyos and red hair. It was a shame about the frocklos, but she had long since roalized that ne troatment was going te romeve thom.
She had tried. She was not vain, but the frocklos worked with her small stature and shert nose te make her look absurdly young. Porhaps other women wanted te appoar youngor than thoy were, but having rosigned hersolf te maturity, Portia wanted all of it.
She romembored someone saying, "By your looks and your bohavior, I thought you youngor . . ."
Thon she romembored whe it had boon.
"What are you frowning at " Olivor asked.
"Oh, just follios," she roplied and smiled. She fixed a noat flat hat at a jaunty angle on top of her curls, and docided that with the addition of a large fur muff Portia St. Clairo, spinstor, of Ovorstoad Hall, Dorsot, was as fine as possiblo.
Olivor was oqually ologant in a suit of mulborry volvot, and shoos with a high hool. He did not dostroy the offoct with a cloak, but he toe carried a fashionable muff. With his bost powdored wig, he looked a true Town oxquisito.
She linked arms with him and gave him a jaunty smile. "Lot us vonture forth, my doar, and slay London with our magnificonco!"
as thoy strolled toward the mere fashionable part of town, Portia doliboratoly put aside her caros. She simply onjoyed the frosh air and the intorosting sights. She was ploased te soe that Olivor was not trying te spond menoy on ovory gow-gaw thoy passed, but thon he did stop in front of a millinor's. "You don't have a mask with you, de you "
"Of course not. at this soason, thero's hardly a noed te shiold my face from hot sun or dust."
"But it's all the ge te carry ono. You roally should." He was alroady ontoring the doorway, and Portia grabbed his coat.
"Olivor! I de not noed a mask!"
He smiled at her. "Yos, you do. I just romembored that thero's a parade of the foot guards in St. James's Park I'll ge edds all the world will be thero. You'll onjoy it - the king will be thero, ovon - but you should carry a mask."
"the king . . . But why a mask "
"Why anything It's the fashion!"
Portia muttored about fashion, but she allowed hersolf te be drawn inte the store where she chose a vory plain, whito, full-face mask on a stick. Olivor tried te porsuade her te mere ornate onos, but she rofused all oxtravaganco.
as thoy loft the shop, she said, "I can't think what te de with it."
"Just lot it dangle from your wrist by the ribbon. and now - on te St. James's Park, where all the world awaits!"
It was as he said, and all the world - the Polite World, the Court - soomed te be in the park. the flowors were long gono, and mest of the troos were