o rest a little, and when you are ready for a walk in
the park, please ring the bell and Naomi will fetch me,' said Sarah as
she went off, relieved to find that Horatia took everything in a
friendly spirit.

'Oh Miss Horatia, this is a funny house!' exclaimed Horatia's nurse.

'I don't see anything funny in it,' said Horatia; 'it's a very beautiful
one.'

'Yes, miss, it is that; these people must have a mint of money. Why, look
at these rooms; they're fit for a king. And to think that poor thing is
the mistress of it all. She doesn't look hardly fit,' said the woman.

Horatia let this remark pass in silence; but if her loyalty to her
hostess had let her she would probably have agreed with her nurse, for
she did feel, somehow, as Sarah did, that it was all too grand, and
oppressed her somehow. 'My dresses are not grand enough for these rooms,
Nanny, or for this house,' she replied.

But this was too much for the old nurse. 'You'll look a lady and be a
lady in the commonest of them, and that's more than these Clays be, for
all their money,' she cried indignantly.

'That isn't very nice of you when they are so kind to us, Nanny, and have
asked us here so that we may enjoy ourselves,' said Horatia
reproachfully.

'No, Miss Horatia, it isn't, and I ought to be ashamed of myself that you
have to teach me my duty instead of me showing you a good example; but I
felt wild to think of them, perhaps, thinking themselves better than you
because they have such a lot of money out of blankets,' said the good
woman. 'Why, I'd sooner have The Grange than this house any day.'

'So would I, of course, because it's my home; but I wouldn't mind
having a bathroom like this, all marble and silver, and all those lovely
little contrivances to wash yourself without any trouble; and I will some
day, when I'm rich,' declared Horatia.

[Illustration: 'I'm so glad you've called me "lass"! I was so hoping some
one would.' PAGE 69.]

And now, being ready for dinner, Horatia rang for Sarah, and the two went
down to the painted and gilded drawing-room to wait till the gong
sounded, which it presently did, and the three went into the dining-room,
where they found Mr Mark Clay, as was his custom, seated at the table.

When they arrived, Mrs Clay, whose duty it was to introduce Horatia to
her host, left that duty to Sarah, and Sarah left it to her mother, with
the result that no one performed that ceremony.

Horatia had to introduce herself,