one of them, she
would. And if I just hint it to her, she looks at me, and
says--"Often?--when was he here before? I don't remember." All
the same, _they_ don't understand that.'

'Well?' said Rollo. 'They are quite equal to taking care of
themselves. Tell me of any danger to _her_.'

'It lies just there, sir. That she might be drawn on--in her
innocence--to grant favours covering she knows not what. And
sometimes that works trouble. Not caring two snaps for the
men, it might never occur to her that they were favours--till
the cobwebs were all round her feet. You know that, sir?'

Her hearer's brows contracted a little, and the grey eyes
snapped; but he was silent.

'Now here's this fancy ball at Moscheloo,' said Mrs. Bywank,--
'with all sorts of charades that nobody ought to be in.'

'What is that? I have not heard of it.'

'I opine they have kept it rather close,' said the
housekeeper,--'the day after to-morrow it comes off; and not a
soul let in without a ticket. I hoped you might have one, Mr.
Rollo.'

'What about the charades?'

'I don't like them,' said Mrs. Bywank decidedly,--'and they
want Miss Wych in every one. So she's been getting her dresses
ready, with my help, and telling me the whole story. It's "Mr.
May and I are to do this,"--and "While I stand so, Captain
Lancaster stands so." The last of all is a wedding.'

'A wedding!' Rollo repeated. 'Is she to be in that too?'

'Of course,' said Mrs. Bywank. 'And she said she tried ever so
hard to get a ticket for me--that I might see her dressed up.
But Madame would not. So said I, "Miss Wych, I would rather
not see you in _that_ dress, till it's the real thing."

' "O--take what you can get," she said, running the needle into
her finger and making a great fuss about it.

' "My dear," I said, "marriage is much too sacred a thing, in
_my_ judgment, to be turned into a frolic."

' "Well I didn't want to do it," she said, a little sober;
"but Madame would not let me off." '

'Well?--' said Rollo, with a short breath, as the old lady
again paused.

' "But Miss Wych," I said, "are you to act that with Captain
Lancaster?"

'So she flamed out at that, and asked me if I thought she
would?

' "Well," said I, "for my part, I don't understand how any
young lady who expects to be married"--but she put her hand
right over my mouth.

' "Now Byo, stop!" she said. "You know you are talking of _me_--
not of other young ladies."

' "Who is to be the h