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the intruder, although Patricia stood directly before her.

It was some moments later when Patricia took advantage of a mild dispute regarding the advisability of sending pillow-cases to the stricken-area to offer a suggestion.

“Why not stick to absolute necessities, such as food and clothing?” she asked bluntly. “Something to cover their nakedness and fill their stomachs? The chances are they have no pillows.”

Mrs. Langham smiled frostily, her eyebrows questing skywards.

No. 2 Committee followed the lead of its chairwoman and regarded Patricia with disapproval.

“My dear Miss Weybourn,” said Mrs. Langham, making a bored gesture with her hand to intimate her followers, “I have chosen my committee, and I daresay we shall be able to do some little good. I am sorry there are no vacancies here.”

Any other than Patricia would have accepted the dismissal, and Mrs. Langham’s expression became one of suffering as the girl spoke again.

“I shall be pleased to work under the direction of the committee, Mrs. Langham,” Patricia informed her, with a smile of fictitious meekness. “Anything I can do to help———”

“We are already inundated with offers of help, thank you,” lied the other unblushingly. “We have more help than we know how to use. Good-night!”

Mrs. Langham turned her commanding back upon the girl, and the five elderly ladies and two elderly subdued men of her committee followed faithfully. No. 2 Committee, in its entirety, had heard of, and seen, Miss Weybourn in her leisure and business hours, and it felt that her presence emphasised its own obvious righteousness. Her audacity in imagining that No. 2 Committee would welcome her help was pitiable rather than ridiculous.

No. 2 Committee moved in a body to a row of stalls further down the auditorium.