ith
smiles. Ah, no doubt they would have plenty to say to each other, as soon
as they were together.

It was one of the bitter-sweet moments of life. Lady Tatham steadied
herself.

"That is a sketch," she said mechanically, "by Burne-Jones, for one of
the Pygmalion and Galatea series. We have one or two others on the same
subject."

Mrs. Penfold clasped her small hands in rapture.

"Oh! but _how_ interesting! Do you know I was once Galatea? When I was a
girl I used to act a great deal. Well, not act exactly--for I didn't have
to speak. I never could remember my lines. But I had two great parts.
There was Hermione, in 'The Winter's Tale'; and Galatea. I made hundreds
of pounds for hospitals--hundreds. It's not vain now, is it, to say one
was pretty in one's youth?"

"You like remembering it? Some people don't."

"Ah, no, that's wrong! I'd liked to have been beautiful once, if I'm old
and ugly now," cried Mrs. Penfold with fervour. "Of course"--she looked
shyly at the sketch--"I had beautiful draperies on. My Galatea was not
like that."

"Draperies?" Lady Tatham laughed. "Pygmalion had only just made
her--there had been no time to dress her."

"_We_ dressed her," said Mrs. Penfold decidedly, "from top to toe. Some
day I must show you the drawings of it--it's not like that at all. The
girls think I'm silly to talk of it--oh! they don't say it--they're very
good to me. But I can see they do. Only--they've so many things to be
proud of. Susy's so clever--she knows Greek and all that kind of thing.
And Lydia's drawing is so wonderful. Do you know she has made twenty
pounds out of her sketches this week!"

"Capital!" said Lady Tatham smiling.

"Ah, it means a great deal to us! You see"--Mrs. Penfold looked round
her--"when you're very rich, and have everything you want, you can't
understand--at least I don't think you can--how it feels to have twenty
pounds you don't expect. Lydia just danced about the room. And I'm to
have a new best dress--she insists on it. Well, you see"--the little pink
and white face of the speaker broke into smiles--"that's all so
_amusing_. It puts one in good spirits. It's just as though one were
rich, and made a thousand pounds. I daresay"--she looked, awestruck, at
the Burne-Jones sketch--"that's worth our whole income. But we're very
happy. We never fret. Lydia and Susy both help in the housework. And I
make their blouses."

"How clever of you! That's a Fra Angelico"--said Lady Tatha