tisfaction.

Miss Aldclyffe was musingly looking on the floor, and the operation went
on for some minutes in silence. At length her thoughts seemed to turn to
the present, and she lifted her eyes to the glass.

'Why, what on earth are you doing with my head?' she exclaimed, with
widely opened eyes. At the words she felt the back of Cytherea's little
hand tremble against her neck.

'Perhaps you prefer it done the other fashion, madam?' said the maiden.

'No, no; that's the fashion right enough, but you must make more show of
my hair than that, or I shall have to buy some, which God forbid!'

'It is how I do my own,' said Cytherea naively, and with a sweetness
of tone that would have pleased the most acrimonious under favourable
circumstances; but tyranny was in the ascendant with Miss Aldclyffe
at this moment, and she was assured of palatable food for her vice by
having felt the trembling of Cytherea's hand.

'Yours, indeed! _Your_ hair! Come, go on.' Considering that Cytherea
possessed at least five times as much of that valuable auxiliary to
woman's beauty as the lady before her, there was at the same time some
excuse for Miss Aldclyffe's outburst. She remembered herself, however,
and said more quietly, 'Now then, Graye--By-the-bye, what do they call
you downstairs?'

'Mrs. Graye,' said the handmaid.

'Then tell them not to do any such absurd thing--not but that it is
quite according to usage; but you are too young yet.'

This dialogue tided Cytherea safely onward through the hairdressing
till the flowers and diamonds were to be placed upon the lady's brow.
Cytherea began arranging them tastefully, and to the very best of her
judgment.

'That won't do,' said Miss Aldclyffe harshly.

'Why?'

'I look too young--an old dressed doll.'

'Will that, madam?'

'No, I look a fright--a perfect fright!'

'This way, perhaps?'

'Heavens! Don't worry me so.' She shut her lips like a trap.

Having once worked herself up to the belief that her head-dress was to
be a failure that evening, no cleverness of Cytherea's in arranging
it could please her. She continued in a smouldering passion during the
remainder of the performance, keeping her lips firmly closed, and the
muscles of her body rigid. Finally, snatching up her gloves, and taking
her handkerchief and fan in her hand, she silently sailed out of the
room, without betraying the least consciousness of another woman's
presence behind her.

Cytherea's fears th