ng
the damped corner of a towel over her face, she dreaded the ageing
effects of the climate on her fine complexion. Close as ever about her
own concerns, she gave no reason for her abrupt determination to leave
the country; but from subsequent talk Polly gathered that, for one
thing, Zara had found her position at the head of John's
establishment--"Undertaken in the first place, my dear, at immense
personal sacrifice!"--no sinecure. John had proved a regular martinet;
he had countermanded her orders, interfered about the household
bills--had even accused her of lining her own pocket. As for little
Johnny--the bait originally thrown out to induce her to accept the
post--he had long since been sent to boarding-school. "A thoroughly
bad, unprincipled boy!" was Zara's verdict. And when Polly, big with
pity, expostulated: "But Zara, he is only six years old!" her sister
retorted with a: "My dear, I know the world, and you don't," to which
Polly could think of no reply.

Zara had announced herself for a bare fortnight's stay; but the man who
carried her trunk groaned and sweated under it, and was so insolent
about the size of the coin she dropped in his palm that Polly followed
him by stealth into the passage, to make it up to a crown. As usual
Zara was attired in the height of fashion. She brought a set of "the
hoops" with her--the first to be seen on Ballarat--and once more Polly
was torn between an honest admiration of her sister's daring, and an
equally honest embarrassment at the notice she attracted. Zara swam and
glided about the streets, to the hilarious amazement of the population;
floated feather-light, billowing here, depressing there, with all the
waywardness of a child's balloon; supported--or so it seemed--by two of
the tiniest feet ever bestowed on mortal woman. Aha! but that was one
of the chief merits of "the hoops," declared Zara; that, and the
possibility of getting still more stuff into your skirts without
materially increasing their weight. There was something in that,
conceded Polly, who often felt hers drag heavy. Besides, as she
reminded Richard that night, when he lay alternately chuckling and
snorting at woman's folly, custom was everything. Once they had smiled
at Zara appearing in a hat: "And now we're all wearing them."

Another practical consideration that occurred to her she expressed with
some diffidence. "But Zara, don't you ... I mean ... aren't they very
draughty?"

Zara had to repeat h