. She
fixed her grey-green eyes on the widow's face, and took up the book
which she had been reading.

"Shall we go on with this, or shall we have a game of two-handed
patience?" she said quietly.

"I will go to bed," said Mrs. Aylmer; "I am tired and cross. After all,
my life is very dull. You didn't manage to amuse me to-day, Bertha; you
were not like your old self; and then I miss Maurice. He has become
almost indispensable to me. I hope he will return to-morrow."

"We shall probably find him before us at Aylmer's Court."

"I shall send him a telegram the first thing to-morrow to ask him to
hurry home," said Mrs. Aylmer. "He is such a pleasant, bright fellow
that life is insupportable without him. You used to be much more amusing
than you are now, Bertha. Is anything the matter?"

"Nothing, my dear friend," said Bertha. She looked full at Mrs. Aylmer,
and tears rose slowly to her eyes. Now, no one could possess a more
pathetic face than Bertha when she pleased. Mrs. Aylmer was not a
good-natured woman, she was not kind-hearted, she was not in any sense
of the word amiable, but she had certain sentiments, and Bertha managed
to arouse them. When she saw tears in her young companion's eyes now,
she laid her hand on her arm.

"What is it, dear? I should be sorry to be cross with you. You are a
very good girl and suit me admirably."

"It was just the fear that I was not quite suiting you that was
troubling me," replied Bertha. "Say that again, kind, dear benefactress,
and you will make me the happiest girl in the world."

"No one ever suited me so well. You are surely not jealous of my
affection for dear Maurice?"

"Oh, no; I love him myself," said Bertha.

Mrs. Aylmer looked grave. She rose slowly.

"Ring for my maid, will you, Bertha? I shall go to bed; I am tired,"
said the great lady.

The maid appeared a moment later, and the two left the room together. As
Mrs. Aylmer slowly undressed, she thought of Bertha's last words: "I
love him myself."

"Nonsense," said Mrs. Aylmer to herself; "she is ten years his senior if
she's a day; nevertheless, I must be careful. She is a clever woman; I
should be sorry to have to do without her, but I often wonder what her
past was. I made very few enquiries with regard to her history. I wanted
someone to be with me at the time, and she took my fancy."

Downstairs Bertha slowly unfastened the little parcel and looked at the
five ten-pound notes which were rolled up wit