mother!'

Mrs. Hylton shrugged her shoulders. 'Oh, my dear, if that is the way you
think proper to speak to me, it is time to change the subject. Pray
understand that I shall not dream of interfering. I am very glad that
you are so satisfied.' And by-and-by she left the room majestically.

When she had gone, Flossie, who had been listening open-eyed to all that
had taken place, came and stood in front of Ella's chair.

'Ella, tell me,' she said, 'has George really furnished the house
exactly as you like--_really_ now?'

'Haven't I said so, Flossie? Why should you doubt it?'

'Oh, I don't know; I was wondering, that was all!'

'Really!' cried Ella angrily, 'anyone would think poor George was a sort
of barbarian, who couldn't be expected to know anything, or trusted to
do anything!'

'I'm sure I never _said_ so, Ella. But how clever of him to choose just
the right things! And, Ella, do all the colours and things go well
together? I always thought most men didn't notice much about all that.
And are the new mantelpieces pretty? Oh, and where did he go for the
papers and the carpets?'

'Flossie, I wish you wouldn't tease so. Can't you see I have a headache?
I can't answer so many questions, and I won't! Once for all, everything
is just what I like. Do you understand, or shall I tell you
again?--just, _just_ what I like!'

'Oh, all right,' returned Flossie, with exasperating good-humour; 'then
there's nothing to lose your temper about, darling, is there?'

And this was all that Ella had gained by her loyalty to George so far.

It was the morning after the Chapmans' visit. Ella had seen her mother
and Flossie preparing to go out, but, owing to the friction between
them, they neither invited her to accompany them, nor did she venture to
ask where they were going. At luncheon, however, the unhappy girl
divined from the expression of their faces how they had employed the
forenoon. They had been inspecting the Campden Hill house! Her mother's
handsome face wore a look of frozen contempt. Imagine a strict Quaker's
feelings on seeing his son with a pair of black eyes--a Socialist's at
finding a peerage under his daughter's pillow--a Positivist's whose
children have all joined the Salvation Army, and even then but a faint
idea will be reached of Mrs. Hylton's utter dismay and disgust.

Flossie, though angry, took a different view of Ella's share in the
business; she knew her better than her mother did, and consequently