have promised Rose to
go to the ice carnival to-night, and I need a little relaxation first."

"I suppose Dinah is going?" said the Colonel.

"Oh, yes. But she is nothing of a skater." Lady Grace suddenly broke into
a little laugh. "I wonder if the redoubtable Mrs. Bathurst does really
beat her when she is naughty. It would be excellent treatment for her,
you know."

"I haven't a doubt of it," said the Colonel. "She is absolutely under her
mother's control. That great raw-boned woman would have a heavy hand too,
I'll be bound."

"Oh, there is no doubt Dinah stands very much in awe of her. I never knew
she had any will of her own till she came here. I always took her for the
meekest little creature imaginable."

"There is a good deal more in Miss Dinah than jumps to the eye," said the
Colonel. "In fact, if you ask me, I should say she is something of a dark
horse. She is just beginning to feel her feet and she'll surprise us all
one of these days by turning into a runaway colt."

"Not, I do hope, while she is in my charge," said Lady Grace.

"We will hope not," agreed the Colonel. "But all the same, I rather think
that her mother will find her considerably less tame and tractable when
she sees her again than she has ever been before. Liberty, you know, is a
dangerous joy for the young."

"Then we must be more strict with her ourselves," said Lady Grace.

CHAPTER X

THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE

Dinah ran swiftly down the corridor to her own room.

As a matter of fact, she had intruded upon the Colonel and Lady Grace in
the secret hope of finding a propitious moment for once again pressing
her request to be allowed to accept Scott's invitation to tea. Her
failure to do so added fuel to the flame, arousing in her an almost
irresistible impulse to rebel openly.

The fear of consequences alone restrained her, for to be escorted home in
disgrace after only a week in this Alpine paradise was more than she
could face. All her life the dread of her mother's wrath had overhung
Dinah like a cloud, sometimes near, sometimes distant, but always
present. She had been brought up to fear her from her cradle. All through
her childhood her punishments had been bitterly severe. She winced still
at the bare thought of them; and she was as fully convinced as was Lady
Grace that her mother had never really loved her. To come under the ban
of her displeasure meant days of harsh treatment, nor, now that her
childhood was over,