tist as that. Infinite knowledge the girl attributed to her, and that
was why she liked her a little fearfully. Lady Davenant was not as a
general thing fond of the young or of invalids; but she made an
exception as regards youth for the little girl from America, the sister
of the daughter-in-law of her dearest friend. She took an interest in
Laura partly perhaps to make up for the tepidity with which she regarded
Selina. At all events she had assumed the general responsibility of
providing her with a husband. She pretended to care equally little for
persons suffering from other forms of misfortune, but she was capable of
finding excuses for them when they had been sufficiently to blame. She
expected a great deal of attention, always wore gloves in the house and
never had anything in her hand but a book. She neither embroidered nor
wrote--only read and talked. She had no special conversation for girls
but generally addressed them in the same manner that she found effective
with her contemporaries. Laura Wing regarded this as an honour, but very
often she didn't know what the old lady meant and was ashamed to ask
her. Once in a while Lady Davenant was ashamed to tell. Mrs. Berrington
had gone to a cottage to see an old woman who was ill--an old woman who
had been in her service for years, in the old days. Unlike her friend
she was fond of young people and invalids, but she was less interesting
to Laura, except that it was a sort of fascination to wonder how she
could have such abysses of placidity. She had long cheeks and kind eyes
and was devoted to birds; somehow she always made Laura think secretly
of a tablet of fine white soap--nothing else was so smooth and clean.

'And what's going on _chez vous_--who is there and what are they
doing?' Lady Davenant asked, after the first greetings.

'There isn't any one but me--and the children--and the governess.'

'What, no party--no private theatricals? How do you live?'

'Oh, it doesn't take so much to keep me going,' said Laura. 'I believe
there were some people coming on Saturday, but they have been put off,
or they can't come. Selina has gone to London.'

'And what has she gone to London for?'

'Oh, I don't know--she has so many things to do.'

'And where is Mr. Berrington?'

'He has been away somewhere; but I believe he is coming back
to-morrow--or next day.'

'Or the day after?' said Lady Davenant. 'And do they never go away
together?' she continued after a paus