air, brought boiling water in two squat, plated tea-pots. It was the
tea which served to introduce Maria. She had just pushed aside, with
an air half of indifference, half of disgust, her own luke-warm
concoction flavored with soap, when the maid, at her mistress's
order, touched the bell. When the porter appeared, Maria heard the
dwarf ask for another pot of boiling water, and presently the maid
stood beside her with a cup of fragrant tea.

"Miss Blair wishes me to ask if you will not drink this instead of
the other, which she fears is not quite satisfactory," the maid said,
in an odd, acquired tone and manner of ladyism, as if she were
repeating a lesson, yet there seemed nothing artificial about it. She
regarded Maria with a respectful air. Maria looked across at the
dwarf woman, who was looking at her with kindly eyes which yet seemed
aloof, and a half-sardonic, half-pleasant smile.

Maria thanked her and took the tea, which was excellent, and
refreshed her. The maid returned to her seat, facing her mistress.
They had finished their luncheon. She leaned back in her chair with a
blank expression of face. The dwarf looked out of the window, and
that same half-pleasant, half-sardonic smile remained upon her face.
It was as if she regarded all nature with amused acquiescence and
sarcasm, at its inability to harm her, although it had made the
endeavor.

Maria glanced at her very rich black attire, and a great pearl cross
which gleamed at her throat, and she wondered a little about her.
Then she turned again to the flying landscape, and again that sense
of unnatural peace came over her. She did not think of Evelyn and
Wollaston, or her aunts and uncle, whom she was leaving, except with
the merest glance of thought. It was as if she were already in
another world.

The train sped on, and the girls continued their chatter, and their
high-shrieking trebles arose triumphant above all the clatter. It was
American girlhood rampant on the shield of their native land. Still
there was something about the foolish young faces and the inane
chatter and laughter which was sweet and even appealing. They became
attractive from their audaciousness and their ignorance that they
were troublesome. Their confidence in the admiration of all who saw
and heard almost compelled it. Their postures, their crossing their
feet with lavish displays of lingerie and dainty feet and hose, was
possibly the very boldness of innocence, although Maria