face and homely style of clothing may have been more to her mind than
Ethelberta's finished travelling-dress, a class of article to which she
appeared to be well accustomed. Her husband was at this time at the head
of the table-d'hote, and mentioning the fact as an excuse for his non-
appearance, she accompanied them upstairs.

After the strain of keeping up smiles with Lord Mountclere, the rattle
and shaking, and the general excitements of the chase across the water
and along the rail, a face in which she saw a dim reflex of her mother's
was soothing in the extreme, and Ethelberta went up to the staircase with
a feeling of expansive thankfulness. Cornelia paused to admire the clean
court and the small caged birds sleeping on their perches, the boxes of
veronica in bloom, of oleander, and of tamarisk, which freshened the air
of the court and lent a romance to the lamplight, the cooks in their
paper caps and white blouses appearing at odd moments from an Avernus
behind; while the prompt 'v'la!' of teetotums in mob caps, spinning down
the staircase in answer to the periodic clang of bells, filled her with
wonder, and pricked her conscience with thoughts of how seldom such
transcendent nimbleness was attempted by herself in a part so nearly
similar.

34. THE HOTEL BEAU SEJOUR AND SPOTS NEAR IT

The next day, much to Ethelberta's surprise, there was a letter for her
in her mother's up-hill hand. She neglected all the rest of its contents
for the following engrossing sentences:--

'Menlove has wormed everything out of poor Joey, we find, and your
father is much upset about it. She had another quarrel with him, and
then declared she would expose you and us to Mrs. Doncastle and all
your friends. I think that Menlove is the kind of woman who will
stick to her word, and the question for you to consider is, how can
you best face out any report of the truth which she will spread, and
contradict the lies that she will add to it? It appears to me to be a
dreadful thing, and so it will probably appear to you. The worst part
will be that your sisters and brothers are your servants, and that
your father is actually engaged in the house where you dine. I am
dreadful afraid that this will be considered a fine joke for gossips,
and will cause no end of laughs in society at your expense. At any
rate, should Menlove spread the report, it would absolutely prevent
people from at