ice trained?" she said, speaking purposely in a calm,
matter-of-fact voice. "Your grandfather appears perfectly willing to have
you taught, otherwise he would scarcely have put you under such a teacher
as Madame Martelli."

"You don't understand," Eleanor muttered, turning away her head, unable
to meet Lady Strangways' serene, beautiful eyes. Somehow they made her
feel terribly ashamed of the part she was playing.

"No; but I am trying to," said Lady Strangways in a perplexed tone, "and
I cannot imagine why you should be under any apprehension that your
grandfather will try and put obstacles in the way of your getting all the
training your beautiful voice deserves. Is he not proud of it?"

Eleanor shook her head. "He doesn't know anything about it," she said;
"he just thinks his niece has a nice little drawing-room voice."

Lady Strangways drew a deep breath. "Oh, I understand now," she said.
"You are afraid that he will not let you train for the stage, that he
will be prejudiced against it. But, my dear Margaret, that would be an
unheard-of pity; such a voice as yours must not be wasted--it would be a
sin. I shall use my influence with your grandfather, if he is really
against your being properly trained, and get him to consent to your
having the very best teaching that can be given to you. And if it is a
question of money----"

But there Lady Strangways paused and looked a little doubtful. Truth to
say, she did not think that money had anything to do with the question;
she remembered vaguely to have heard that her brother had married an
heiress; if so, his only daughter would surely not lack means to train
for any career she fancied.

"No, no!" Eleanor exclaimed almost violently, "I could not take money
from you--I could not. It will be far better if we never see each other
again." And brushing suddenly past the astounded Lady Strangways, Eleanor
dashed out of the window and disappeared in a flash round the corner of
the house.

"Well, of all the most astonishing girls I ever met, my niece, Margaret
Anstruther, is certainly the most astonishing," was Lady Strangways'
inward comment as she gazed after Eleanor's flying figure. "She seems
to pass through a greater variety of moods in a shorter space of time
than any one I ever met. She must be a very uncomfortable person to live
with. But what a magnificent voice! What a tremendous gift she has been
endowed with!"

But at that point Lady Strangways' musings were