-er--the young lady?" she asked.

"Yes, madam--this is Miss Shepstone." The stately one introduced
Esther with a wave of her hand. "This lady, Miss Shepstone, is looking
for a companion. Some one who can work well--and read aloud." She
looked at Esther sharply. "Can you read aloud?" she asked.

Esther stammered out that she supposed she could, but ...

"That is a minor detail," the lady with the lorgnette interrupted.
"Miss Shepstone, I am not wanting a companion in the ordinary sense of
the word. That is to say, I do not want you to be constantly with me.
You will have your own bedroom and sitting-room--and I shall only want
you at certain hours of the day. You will write letters for me and
make yourself generally useful." She paused, she searched the girl's
eager face through her glasses.

"How old are you?" she asked.

"Twenty-four," said Esther.

"Humph! And what have you done up till now?"

Esther flushed.

"I was in the workroom at Eldred's. The manager has promised to give
me a reference, but----"

"Eldred's!" the sharp gaze wavered a little. "And why did you leave
there, may I ask?"

"I left to get married, but----"

"But you are not married, of course."

"No."

"Nor going to be?"

"Not for the present, but----"

She was cut short again.

"I don't want to get used to you and to get you used to my ways and
then for you to leave me," she was told. "And I don't want a young man
constantly dangling round the house." Her voice was sharp, but not
unkind, and there was a smile in the keen eyes.

"No," said Esther. "I quite understand."

There was a little silence.

"Well," said the owner of the lorgnette then, "what do you think about
it? Do you think you would like to come? Do you think you would like
me?"

Esther smiled, there was something in this blunt questioning that
reminded her of June Mason.

"Yes," she said. "I think I should, but----"

"I hate that word," she was told promptly. "I don't want any 'buts' in
the question. You either wish to come or you do not. I will give you
fifty pounds a year, and your keep, of course. It's too much for an
inexperienced girl like you, but I think I shall rather like you.
Well, what do you say?"

Esther did not know what to say. The offer was tempting enough, but
she thought of June Mason and the room with the mauve cushions where
she was settling down so happily, and her heart sank.

"I should like to think it over," she said, stammering. "I