ght wear the silk
gown and lovely hat. Once more she tried to arrange her hair as she saw
other young women wear theirs, and again swept its heavy masses back
loosely from her brow and coiled it low as her custom was.

The landlady's daughter chattered happily as they drove. She held the
baby on her knee, and he played with the blue beads she wore about her
neck, while Cassandra sat with hands dropped passively in her lap, her
body leaning a little forward, straight and poised as if to move more
rapidly along, her red lips parted as if listening and waiting, and her
eyes courteously turning toward the places and objects pointed out to
her, yet neither seeing nor hearing, except vaguely.

Presently becoming aware that the chatter was about the family at
Daneshead Castle, her interest suddenly awoke. About the old lord--how
vast his possessions--how ancient the family--how neglected the castle
had been ever since Lady Thryng's death,--everything allowed to run
down, even though they were so vastly rich--how different everything was
now the parsimonious old lord was dead and the new lord had come in, and
there were once more ladies in the family--what a time since there had
been a Lady Thryng at Daneshead--how much Lady Laura was like her cousin
Lyon--how reckless she would be if her mother did not hold her with a
firm hand--and so the chatter ran on.

The girl enjoyed the distinction of knowing all about the great family
and enlightening this stranger from America, whose silent attention and
occasional monosyllabic replies were sufficient to inspire her friendly
efforts to entertain. Moreover, her curiosity concerning Cassandra and
her errand, where she was evidently neither expected nor known, was
piqued and lively, and she threw out many tentative remarks to probe if
possible the stranger lady's thoughts.

"Have you ever seen Lord Thryng--the new lord, I mean, ma'm?"

"Yes," said Cassandra, simply, a chill striking to her heart to hear him
mentioned thus.

"He's been out here directing the repairs himself, and getting the place
ready for his mother and Lady Laura; but I never saw him. They say he's
perfectly stunning. Quite the lord. Is he so very handsome, do you
think?"

"Yes." Cassandra looked away from the girl's searching eyes.

"They say he never has married, and that is fortunate too; for he has
lived so long in America, and never expecting to come into the title, he
might have married somebody his own s