And then he took his leave with a manner of punctilious politeness
which, oddly enough, made Lady Caroline feel herself in the wrong more
than anything that he had said. She was more ruffled than Margaret had
ever seen her when at last she sought the girl's room shortly before the
ringing of the dressing-bell.

She found Margaret looking pale and a little frightened, but perfectly
composed. She came up to Lady Caroline and put her arms round her
mother's neck with a caressing movement.

"Dear mamma," she said, "I am afraid I was not quite polite to Sir
Philip."

"I think, dear, that Sir Philip was scarcely polite to you. I am not at
all satisfied with his conduct. He is quite unreasonable."

Margaret slowly withdrew her arms from her mother's neck, looked at her
uneasily, and looked down again.

"He thinks that I ought to do something for Janetta--to make people
think well of her, I suppose."

"He is utterly preposterous," said Lady Caroline.

"Do you think I ought to go to Miss Morrison about Janetta, mamma?"

"No, indeed, my dearest. Your father would never hear of it."

"I should like to do all that I could for her. I am very fond of her,
indeed I am, although Sir Philip thinks me so selfish." And Margaret's
soft hazel eyes filled with tears, which fell gently over her delicate
cheeks without distorting her features in the least.

"Don't cry, my darling; please don't cry," said her mother, anxiously.
"Your eyelids will be red all the evening, and papa will ask what is the
matter. Have you any rose water?--Of course you will do all you can for
your poor little friend: you are only too fond of her--too
generous!--Sir Philip does not understand you as I do; he has
disappointed me very much this afternoon."

"He was very unkind," said Margaret, with the faintest possible touch of
resentment in her soft tones.

"Think no more of him for the present, dear. I dare say he will be here
to-morrow, penitent and abashed. There goes the dressing-bell. Are you
ready for Markham now? Put on your pink dress."

She spoke pleasantly, and even playfully, but she gave Margaret a
searching glance, as though she would have read the girl's heart if she
could. But she was reassured. Margaret was smiling now; she was as calm
as ever; she had brushed the tears from her eyes with a filmy
handkerchief and looked perfectly serene. "I am rather glad that you
have found Sir Philip unreasonable, mamma," she said, placidly; "I
alw