, as
she said. But she's old, thirty-six years old, and not a bit pretty, and
she says such odd things, one doesn't know what to do. She thought I
made myself useful and could wash and iron,' said Ida, as if this were
the greatest possible insult, in which Sibyl acquiesced.

'And she thought I should know the factory girls, just the hands,' added
Ida, greatly disgusted. 'As if I should! But ma says low tastes are in
the family, for she is going to live in London, and go and sit with the
shop-girls in the evening. Still I like her better than Lady Adela, who
keeps herself to herself. Mamma says it is pride and spite that her
plain little sickly girl hasn't come to be my Lady.'

'What, doesn't she speak to them?' said Sibyl, quite excited.

'Oh yes, she calls, and shakes hands, and all that, but one never seems
to get on with her. And Emily Trotman, she's the doctor's daughter, such
a darling, told me _such_ a history--so interesting!'

'Tell me, Ida, there's a dear.'

'She says they were all frightfully dissipated' (Ida said it quite with a
relish)--'the old Lord and Mr. Morton, Lady Adela's husband, you know,
and Miss Bertha--always racing and hunting and gambling and in debt.
Then there came a Captain Alder, who was ever so much in love with Miss
Bertha, but most awfully in debt to her brother, and very passionate
besides. So he took him out in his dog-cart with a fiery horse that was
sure to run away.'

'Who did?'

'Captain Alder took Mr. Morton, though they begged and prayed him not,
and the horse ran away and Mr. Morton was thrown out and killed.'

'Oh!' with extreme zest. 'On purpose?'

'Miss Bertha was sure it was, so that she might have all the fortune, and
so she told him, and flung the betrothal ring in his face, and he went
right off, and never has been heard of since.'

'Well, that _is_ interesting. Do you think he shot himself?'

'No, he was too mean. Most likely he married a hideous millionaire: but
the Mortons were always dreadful, and did all sorts of wicked things.'

'I declare it's as good as any tale--like the sweet one in the _Young
Ladies' Friend_ now--"The Pride of Pedro." Have you seen it?'

'No, indeed, uncle and aunt only have great old stupid books! They
wanted me to read those horrid tiresome things of Scott's, and Dickens's
too, who is as old as the hills! Why, they could not think of anything
better to do on their wedding tour but to go to all the places in the
Wa