sn't she though?" Lord Fallowfeild chimed in, brightening. The
picture of those reportedly gownless backs had depressed him
abominably.

"Yes, and she must have every advantage. I have quite decided that. She
must come up to me at once. I shall write to mama and point out to her
how necessary it is that one of the girls, at least, should be very
much _en evidence_ this year. And I am most anxious it should be
Connie. As I undertake all the fatigue and responsibility I feel I have
a right of choice. I will see that she is properly dressed. I undertake
everything. Now, papa, if you are going down by the 6:10 train you
ought to start. Will you have a hansom?"

Then, as she shook hands with him, and presented an unresponsive cheek
to the paternal lips, Lady Louisa clinched the matter.

"I may consider it quite settled, then, about Constance?" she said. "I
mentioned it to Mr. Barking yesterday, and we agreed it ought to be
done even if it entailed a little inconvenience and expense. It is not
right to be indifferent to appearances. The other two girls can come up
for a little while later. Alicia must help. Of course there is not much
room in that wretched, little Chelsea house of hers, but George
Winterbotham can turn out of his dressing-room. Alicia must exert
herself for once. And, papa, Connie need not bring a maid. Those
country girls from Whitney don't always fit in quite well with the
upper servants, and yet there is a difficulty about keeping them out of
the housekeeper's room. I will provide a maid for her. I'll write to
mama about everything to-morrow. And, papa, I do beg you will
discourage Shotover from coming here, for really I would much rather
not see him at present. Good-bye. Pray start at once. You have barely
time to get to Waterloo."

And so Lord Fallowfeild started, a little flustered, a little
crestfallen, on his homeward journey.

"Able woman, Louisa," he said to himself. "Uncommonly clear-sighted
woman, Louisa. But a trifle hard. Wonder if Barking ever feels that,
now? Not very sensitive man, Barking, though. Suppose that hardness in
Louisa comes of her having no children. Always plenty of children in
our family--except my poor brother Archibald and Lady Jane, they had no
children. Yet somebody told me she'd had one by Bateman, which died.
Never understood about that. Capital thing for Ludovic she never did
have any by Archibald. But it's always curious to me Louisa should have
no children. Should