atures, and would have been pretty if she had not been
much too plump. She wore an extremely smart travelling-dress and a
wonderful dust-cloak of cool, pale, thin silk. She was not an elegant
person, but her appointments were luxurious and self-indulgent. Her
daughter was pretty, and had a slim, swaying waist, soft pink cheeks,
and a pouting mouth. Her large picture-hat of pale-blue straw, with its
big gauze bow and crushed roses, had a slightly exaggerated Parisian
air.

"It is a little too picturesque," Emily thought; "but how lovely she
looks in it! I suppose it was so becoming she could not help buying it.
I'm sure it's Virot."

As she was looking at the girl admiringly, a man passed her window. He
was a tall man with a square face. As he passed close to Emily, he
stared through her head as if she had been transparent or invisible. He
got into the smoking-carriage next to her.

When the train arrived at Mallowe station, he was one of the first
persons who got out. Two of Lady Maria's men were waiting on the
platform. Emily recognised their liveries. One met the tall man,
touching his hat, and followed him to a high cart, in the shafts of
which a splendid iron-gray mare was fretting and dancing. In a few
moments the arrival was on the high seat, the footman behind, and the
mare speeding up the road. Miss Fox-Seton found herself following the
second footman and the mother and daughter, who were being taken to the
landau waiting outside the station. The footman piloted them, merely
touching his hat quickly to Emily, being fully aware that she could take
care of herself.

This she did promptly, looking after her box, and seeing it safe in the
Mallowe omnibus. When she reached the landau, the two other visitors
were in it. She got in, and in entire contentment sat down with her back
to the horses.

The mother and daughter wore for a few minutes a somewhat uneasy air.
They were evidently sociable persons, but were not quite sure how to
begin a conversation with an as yet unintroduced lady who was going to
stay at the country house to which they were themselves invited.

Emily herself solved the problem, producing her commonplace with a
friendly tentative smile.

"Isn't it a lovely country?" she said.

"It's perfect," answered the mother. "I've never visited Europe before,
and the English country seems to me just exquisite. We have a summer
place in America, but the country is quite different."

She was good-na