her eyes that were her chief charm. They were
beautiful hazel eyes, and as Margaret looked at them a feeling came over
her that they were oddly familiar to her, and yet she had never seen Lady
Strangways before. Altogether, it was a face that attracted attention,
and charmed by its sunny-tempered grace and kindness.

Margaret continued to gaze at this aunt in a fascinated way, and a
curious little feeling of pride thrilled in her as she reflected that she
was the niece of any one who not only looked so sweet and so gracious as
Lady Strangways, but who was so evidently a woman of fashion and of the
great world.

Margaret remembered the flutter of excitement which Mrs. Danvers had
shown when, on returning from a tea-party one day, she had found Lady
Strangways' card on the table, and the regret she had expressed that she
had been out. What, then, would the Danvers say, Margaret wondered, when
they heard that she was a niece of Lady Strangways?

For a moment Margaret quite enjoyed the thought of their prospective
astonishment, until with a little pang she remembered that it was Eleanor
who was being acknowledged at this moment by this charming-looking aunt,
not she, and a slow, painful jealousy stirred in Margaret at the thought.

Not that Eleanor was usurping the relationship at all willingly. Margaret
could see that her unfortunate accomplice, who was generally so ready of
tongue, and so self-confident, was very far from feeling at her ease in
the presence of Lady Strangways, and was comporting herself like an
awkward, embarrassed schoolgirl. For a time she seemed absolutely
incapable of answering anything that was said to her, except in
monosyllables, and though Lady Strangways did her best to set her at her
ease, her efforts met with poor success.

"My dear child," she said at last, as she drew Eleanor's reluctant hand
within her arm, and tried to look into the girl's averted face, "you must
not be so shy with me! Remember that I am your aunt, and that as you have
no mother, and I no daughter, we might be very much to one another in the
future."

These graciously uttered words, accompanied as they were by a charming
smile, and a gentle drawing of the girl to her side, as if she would have
kissed her, caused Margaret's jealousy to increase.

But the proffered caress, far from waking in Eleanor a responsive
feeling, caused her to shrink further away from Lady Strangways' side.

"You are very kind, Lady Strangway