, she was awake all last night
thinking of her brother?"

"The brother who has had an operation? But I thought there was good
news?" said Ashe, kindly.

"He's much better," put in Kitty. "She heard this afternoon. She won't
be such a goose as to lie awake, I Should hope, to-night. Don't let me
catch you here when I get back!" she said, releasing the girl, whose
eyes had filled with tears. "Mr. Ashe will help me, and if he pulls the
strings into knots, I Shall just cut them--so there! Go away, get your
supper, and go to bed. Such a life as I've led them all to-day!" She
threw up her hands in a perfunctory penitence.

The maid was forced to go, and the housemaid also returned to the hall
with Kitty's Opera-cloak and fan, till it should please her mistress to
descend. Both of them were dead tired, but they took a genuine
disinterested pleasure in Kitty's beauty and her fine frocks. She was
not by any means always considerate of them; but still, with that
wonderful generosity that the poor show every day to the rich, they
liked her; and to Ashe every servant in the house was devoted.

Kitty meanwhile had driven Ashe to his own toilette, and was walking
about the room, now Studying herself in the glass, and now chattering to
him through the open door.

"Have you heard anything more about Tuesday?" she asked him, presently.

"Oh yes!--compliments by the dozen. Old Parham overtook me as I was
walking away from the House, and said all manner of civil things."

"And I met Lady Parham in Marshall's," said Kitty. "She does thank so
badly! I should like to show her how to do it. Dear me!" Kitty sighed.
"Am I henceforth to live and die on Lady Parham's ample breast?"

She sat with one foot beating the floor, deep in meditation.

"And shall I tell you what mother said?" shouted Ashe through the door.

"Yes."

He repeated--so fat as dressing would let him a number of the charming
and considered phrases in which Lady Tranmore, full of relief, pleasure,
and a secret self-reproach, had expressed to him the effect produced
upon herself and a select public by Kitty's performance at the Parhams'.
Kitty had indeed behaved like an angel--an angel <i>en toilette de bal</i>,
reciting a scene from Alfred de Musset. Such politeness to Lady Parham,
such smiles, sometimes a shade malicious, for the Prime Minister, who on
his side did his best to efface all memory of his speech of the week
before from the mind of his fascinating guest; s