no
doubt, in his way, but takes a lot of keeping in order."

"Do you have to look after all the servants?" Letty asked. "Doesn't Miss
Thorpe-Hatton ever order anything?"

Mrs. Brown looked pityingly at her guest.

"My dear child," she said, "I doubt if she could tell you to three or
four how many servants there are in the house, and as to ordering
anything, I don't suppose such a thought's ever entered into her head.
Here's James coming. Perhaps it's a message for you."

A footman entered and greeted Letty kindly.

"Good morning, young lady!" he said. "You are to go into the
morning-room at once."

Letty rose with alacrity.

"Is--is she there?" she asked nervously.

"She is," the man answered, "and if I were you, miss, I wouldn't do much
more than just answer her questions and skedaddle. I haven't had any
conversation with her myself, but mademoiselle says she's more than a
bit off it this morning. Slept badly or something."

"Don't frighten the child, James," Mrs. Brown said reprovingly. "She's
not likely to say much to you, my dear. You hurry along, and come back
and have a glass of wine and a biscuit before you go. Show her the way,
James."

"If you please, miss," the man answered, becoming once more an
automaton.

Letty was ushered into a small room, full, it seemed to her as she
entered, of sunshine and flowers. Wilhelmina, in a plain white-serge
gown, with a string of beads around her neck of some strange-coloured
shade of blue, was sitting in a high-backed easy-chair. A small wood
fire was burning in the grate, filling the room with a pleasant aromatic
odour, and the window leading into the square was thrown wide open.

On a table by her side were a pile of letters, an ivory letter-opener,
several newspapers, and a silver box of cigarettes. For the moment,
however, none of these things claimed her attention. The lady of the
house was leaning back in her chair, and her eyes were half closed. If
she had not been sitting with her back to the light, Letty might have
noticed the dark rings under her eyes. It was true that she had not
slept well.

Letty advanced doubtfully into the room. Wilhelmina turned her head.

"Oh, it is you," she remarked. "Come up to the table where I can see
you."

"Mrs. Brown told me that you wished to see me before I went," the girl
said hesitatingly.

Wilhelmina was silent for a moment. She was looking at the girl. Yes!
she was pretty in a rustic, uncultured way. Her