f her views, she had put
down the maid's impertinence with a high hand, and had grown more and
more careful of late to protect Hetty's dignity before the servants.

"I hope Miss Gray's room is as nice as I desired you to make it," she
said to the housekeeper who was welcoming her in the hall. "I hope you
have engaged a maid from the village to attend on her. I require all
Grant's attentions now myself," she added wearily, falling into a chair
in a state of exhaustion. "Hetty, my love, give me a kiss, and go and
have a pretty frock put on for dinner."

Polly, the new maid, had already unpacked the little girl's trunks and
was waiting in her room to dress her in white muslin and lace and
arrange her soft dark curls in a charming wreath round her head. Hetty's
room was an exquisite little nest draped in pale blue chintz covered
with roses, and with fantastic little brackets here and there bearing
pretty statuettes and baskets of flowers. The housekeeper had not indeed
neglected Mrs. Rushton's instructions with regard to the decoration of
this apartment.

"My, miss, but you have grown a fine tall girl!" said Polly admiringly;
"and won't Mrs. Kane be glad to see you again? I suppose you will be
going to see her to-morrow?"

"I am not sure," said Hetty; "I don't remember Mrs. Kane."

"Don't you, miss? Then you ought to, I am sure, for it was she that took
care of you before Mrs. Rushton had you."

"Yes, I believe so," said Hetty frowning, for she dreaded that Polly was
going to make a practice of taunting her with being a foundling, just as
Grant had always done.

"And you ought to be very thankful to her," persisted Polly, "although
you are such a grand young lady now."

"Please to mind your own business," said Hetty proudly; "you were
engaged by Mrs. Rushton to dress me and not to give me lectures."

Polly was astonished and aggrieved. She did not know how Hetty had been
goaded on the subject of her past life by Grant, and had fancied that as
she had only a child to deal with she could say anything she chose quite
freely. But though Hetty was only nine, her experiences of the world had
made her old beyond her years. Polly only thought her a hard-hearted,
haughty little wretch, too proud to be grateful to those who had been
good to her.

"Far be it from me to think of lecturing you, Miss Hetty," she said;
"but mind, I tell you, pride always gets a fall."

"Be silent!" cried Hetty, stamping her small foot imperio