ure!" said Noel Vanstone, surveying the housekeeper
through his half-closed eyelids. "You excellent Lecount! I assure you,
ma'am, Mrs. Lecount is a worthy creature. You will observe that she
pities the two girls. I don't go so far as that myself, but I can make
allowances for them. I am a large-minded man. I can make allowances
for them and for you." He smiled with the most cordial politeness, and
helped himself to a strawberry from the dish on his lap.

"You shock Miss Garth; indeed, sir, without meaning it, you shock Miss
Garth," remonstrated Mrs. Lecount. "She is not accustomed to you as I
am. Consider Miss Garth, sir. As a favor to _me_, consider Miss Garth."

Thus far Magdalen had resolutely kept silence. The burning anger, which
would have betrayed her in an instant if she had let it flash its way
to the surface, throbbed fast and fiercely at her heart, and warned
her, while Noel Vanstone was speaking, to close her lips. She would have
allowed him to talk on uninterruptedly for some minutes more if Mrs.
Lecount had not interfered for the second time. The refined insolence
of the housekeeper's pity was a woman's insolence; and it stung her into
instantly controlling herself. She had never more admirably imitated
Miss Garth's voice and manner than when she spoke her next words.

"You are very good," she said to Mrs. Lecount. "I make no claim to be
treated with any extraordinary consideration. I am a governess, and I
don't expect it. I have only one favor to ask. I beg Mr. Noel Vanstone,
for his own sake, to hear what I have to say to him."

"You understand, sir?" observed Mrs. Lecount. "It appears that Miss
Garth has some serious warning to give you. She says you are to hear
her, for your own sake."

Mr. Noel Vanstone's fair complexion suddenly turned white. He put away
the plate of strawberries among his father's bargains. His hand shook
and his little figure twisted itself uneasily in the chair. Magdalen
observed him attentively. "One discovery already," she thought; "he is a
coward!"

"What do you mean, ma'am?" asked Noel Vanstone, with visible trepidation
of look and manner. "What do you mean by telling me I must listen to you
for my own sake? If you come her to intimidate me, you come to the wrong
man. My strength of character was universally noticed in our circle at
Zurich--wasn't it, Lecount?"

"Universally, sir," said Mrs. Lecount. "But let us hear Miss Garth.
Perhaps I have misinterpreted her meaning