way.

Catherine knocked at the door. Miss Decima had sent her and bade her say
that dinner was on the point of being served. Sibylla sprang up from the
sofa, and dried her tears.

"I wonder whether I can get at my gold combs?" cried she, all her grief
flying away.

Lionel turned to Catherine; an active little woman with a high colour
and a sensible countenance, looking much younger than her real age.
_That_ was not far off fifty; but in movement and lissomeness, she was
young as she had been at twenty. Nothing vexed Catherine so much as for
Lady Verner to allude to her "age." Not from any notions of vanity, but
lest she might be thought growing incapable of her work.

"Catherine, is not that my mother's bed?"

"To think that you should have found it out, Mr. Lionel!" echoed
Catherine, with a broad smile. "Well, sir, it is, and that's the truth.
We have been making all sorts of changes. Miss Lucy's bed has gone in
for my lady, and my lady's has been brought here. See, what a big, wide
bed it is!" she exclaimed, putting her arm on the counterpane. "Miss
Lucy's was a good-sized bed, but my lady thought it would be hardly big
enough for two; so she said hers should come in here."

"And what's Miss Lucy sleeping on?" asked Lionel, amused. "The boards?"

Catherine laughed. "Miss Lucy has got a small bed now, sir. Not, upon my
word, that I think she'd mind if we did put her on the boards. She is
the sweetest young lady to have to do with, Mr. Lionel! I don't believe
there ever was one like her. She's as easy satisfied as ever Mr. Jan
was."

"Lionel! I can't find my gold combs!" exclaimed Sibylla, coming from the
dressing-room, with a face of consternation. "They are not in the
dressing-case. How am I to know which box Benoite has put them in?"

"Never mind looking for the combs now," he answered. "You will have time
to search for things to-morrow. Your hair looks nice without combs. _I_
think nicer than with them."

"But I wanted to wear them," she fractiously answered. "It is all your
fault! You should not have forced me to discharge Benoite."

Did she wish him to look for the gold combs? Lionel did not take the
hint. Leaving her in the hands of Catherine, he quitted the room.

CHAPTER LXXI.

UNPREMEDITATED WORDS.

Lucy was in the drawing-room alone when Lionel entered it. "Lady
Verner," she said to him, "has stepped out to speak to Jan."

"Lucy, I find that our coming here has turned you out of your