, fashionable raiment, and carefully coiffured hair.
There was nothing whatever of the boarding-house keeper about her; in
fact, at first sight, she rather gave the impression of a pleasant,
sociable woman who, having a house somewhat larger than she needed for
her own requirements, accepted a few paying guests to keep the rooms
aired.

This was just the impression she wished to convey, and it was usually
some considerable time before her boarders grasped the fact that they
were dealing with, a thoroughly shrewd, calculating business woman, who
was bent on making every penny out of them that she could, compatibly
with running the house on such lines as would ensure its answering to the
advertised description.

"I'm glad it's a sunny day," she remarked to Miss Bunting. "First
impressions are everything, and that pupil of Signor Baroni's, Miss
Quentin, arrives to-day. I hope her rooms are quite ready?"

"Quite, Mrs. Lawrence," replied the lady-help. "I put a few flowers in
the vases just to make it look a little home-like."

"Very thoughtful of you, Miss Bunting," Mrs. Lawrence returned
graciously. "Miss Quentin's is rather a special case. To begin with,
she has engaged a private sitting-room, and in addition to that she was
recommended to come here by Signor Baroni himself."

The good word of a teacher of such standing as Baroni was a matter of the
first importance to a lady offering a home from home to musical students,
though possibly had Mrs. Lawrence heard the exact form taken by Baroni's
recommendation she might have felt less elated.

"The Lawrence woman is a bit of a shark, my dear," he had told Diana,
when she had explained that, owing to the retirement from business of her
former landlady, she would be compelled after Easter to seek fresh rooms.
"But she caters specially for musical students, and as she is therefore
obliged to keep the schools pleased, she feeds her boarders, on the
whole, better than do most of her species. And remember, my dear Mees
Quentin, that good food, and plenty of good food, means--voice."

So Diana had nodded and written to Mrs. Lawrence to ask if a bed-room and
sitting-room opening one into the other could be at her disposal,
receiving an affirmative reply.

"Regarding coals, Miss Bunting," proceeded Mrs. Lawrence thoughtfully, "I
told Miss Quentin that the charge would be sixpence per scuttle." (This
was in pre-war times, it must be remembered, and the scuttles were of