survey her boots for a few moments when Louise
came into her bedroom and suggested that Mademoiselle would like to have
her hair well brushed. Mademoiselle's hair had suffered from the passing
events of the day.

"Doesn't Lady Dashwood want you?" asked Gwendolen.

No, Lady Dashwood was already dressed and was reposing herself on the
couch, being fatigued. She was lying with her face towards the window,
which was indeed wide open--wide open, and it was after sunset and at
the end of October--par example!

Gwendolen still stared at her boots and said she wanted to think; but
Louise had an object in view and was firm, and in a few minutes she had
deposited the young lady in front of the toilet-table and was brushing
her black curly hair with much vigour.

"Mademoiselle saw the ghost last night," began Louise.

"Who said that?" exclaimed Gwendolen.

"On dit," said Louise.

"Then they shouldn't on dit," said Gwendolen. "I never said I saw the
ghost, I may have said I thought I saw one, which is quite different.
The Warden says there are no ghosts, and the whole thing is rubbish."

"There comes no ghost here," said Louise, firmly, "except there is a
disaster preparing for the Warden."

"The Warden's quite all right," said Gwen, with some scorn.

"Quite all right," repeated Louise. "But it may be some disaster
domestic. Who can tell? There is not only death--there is--par exemple,
marriage!" and Louise glanced over Gwendolen's head and looked at the
girl's face reflected in the mirror.

"Well, that is cool," thought Gwendolen; "I suppose that's French!"

"The whole thing is rubbish," she said.

"One cannot tell, it is not for us to know, perhaps, but it may be that
the disaster is, that Mrs. Dashwood, so charming--so douce--will not
permit herself to marry again--though she is still young. Such things
happen. But how the Barber should have obtained the information--the
good God only knows."

Gwendolen blew the breath from her mouth with protruding lips.

"What has that to do with the Warden? I do wish you wouldn't talk so
much, Louise."

"It may be a disaster that there can be no marriage between Mrs.
Dashwood and Monsieur the Warden," continued Louise.

"The Warden doesn't want to marry Mrs. Dashwood," replied Gwendolen,
with some energy.

"Mademoiselle knows!" said Louise, softly.

"Yes, I know," said Gwendolen. "No one has thought of such a
thing--except you."

"But perhaps he is about to marry--s