it,' said Mr. Egremont. 'You know
better than she does what she will require, and a little advice will be
invaluable. Above all, if you could tell her how to pick up a maid.'

Lady Kirkaldy proposed to take the mother and daughter up to her
dressing-room, where she kept her book of addresses to London
tradesmen; and Mr. Egremont only begged that they would remember the
4.40 train. Then Lord Kirkaldy was left to entertain him, while the
ladies went up the broad staircase to the pleasant room, which had a
mingled look of refinement and usefulness which struck Nuttie at once.
Lady Kirkaldy, as soon as the door was shut, took her visitor by the
hand, kissed her forehead, and said, 'You must let me tell you how glad
I am.'

The crystal veil at once spread over Alice's eyes.

'Oh, thank you. Lady Kirkaldy! I am _so_ happy, and yet I am so
afraid. Please tell me what we shall _do_ so that we may not vex him,
so high bred and fastidious as he is?'

'Be yourself! That's all, my dear,' said Lady Kirkaldy tenderly.
'Don't be afraid. You are quite incapable of doing anything that could
distress the most fastidious taste.'

It was perfectly true of the mother, perhaps less so of the daughter;
but Lady Kirkaldy only thought of her as a mere girl, who could easily
be modelled by her surroundings. The kind hostess applied herself to
giving the addresses of the people she thought likely to be most useful
in the complete outfit which she saw would be necessary, explaining to
which establishments she applied with confidence if she needed to
complete her wardrobe in haste, feeling certain that nothing would be
sent her that she disliked, and giving leave to use her name. She soon
saw that the mother was a little dazed, while Ursula's eyes grew
rounder at the unlimited vista of fine clothes, and she assented, and
asked questions as to the details. As to a maid, Lady Kirkaldy would
write to a person who would call on Mrs. Egremont at the hotel in
London, and who might be what was wanted; and in conclusion, Lady
Kirkaldy, with some diffidence, begged to be written to--'if--if,' she
said, 'there happened to be any difficulty about which you might not
like to consult Mrs. William Egremont.' Nuttie hardly knew whether to
be grateful or not, for she did not believe in any standard above that
of Micklethwayte, and she was almost angry at her mother's grateful
answer--'Oh, thank you! I should be so grateful! I am so afraid of
an