etter of advice might not help her very much--now
that old letter had been seen.

Gwen walked about her room, sometimes leaning over the foot of her bed
and staring blankly at the dresses spread out before her, and sometimes
stopping to look at herself in a long mirror on the way, feeling very
sorry for that poor pretty girl whose image she saw reflected there.
When she heard a knock at the door she almost jumped. Was it Lady
Dashwood? Gwen's answering voice sounded very soft and meek, as if a
mouse was saying "Come in" to a cat that demanded entrance.

It was Mrs. Dashwood who opened the door and walked in.

"You want advice about what to wear for lunch?" said Mrs. Dashwood.
"Lady Dashwood is finishing off some parcels, and asked me to come and
offer you my services--if you'll have me?" and she actually laughed as
she caught sight of the display on the bed.

"Very business-like," she said, walking up to the bed. She did not seem
to have noticed Gwen's distracted appearance, and this gave Gwen time
and courage to compose her features and assume her ordinary bearing.

"Thanks so much," she said, going to the foot of the bed. "I was afraid
I bothered Lady Dashwood when I asked about the lunch."

"It really doesn't much matter what it is you wear for Chartcote," said
May Dashwood slowly, as her eye roamed over the bed. She did not appear
to have heard Gwen's last remark.

"People do dress so funnily here," said Gwen, beginning to feel happy
again, "but I thought perhaps that----"

"I think I should recommend that dark brown silk," said Mrs. Dashwood,
"and if you have a black hat----"

"Yes, I have!" cried Gwen, with animation, and she rushed to the
wardrobe. After all she did like Mrs. Dashwood. She was not so bad after
all.

May received the black hat into her hands and praised it. She put it on
the girl's head and then stood back to see the effect.

Gwen stood smiling, her face and dark hair framed by the black velvet.

"The very thing," said Mrs. Dashwood.

"Do try it on. You'd look lovely in it," gushed Gwen. The expression
"You'd look lovely in it" came from her lips before she could stop it.
Her instinctive antagonism to Mrs. Dashwood was fast oozing away.

May took the hat and put it on her own head, and then she looked round
at the mirror.

"There!" said Gwen. "I told you so!"

May Dashwood regarded herself critically in the mirror and no smile came
to her lips. She looked at her tall slender fig