airs and Mr. Traffick had trotted after
her with admiring breathless industry. This itself, with the thoughts
of the good time which Septimus might be having at the top, was very
bad. But now to be told that she, Ayala, should laugh at him; and
that he, Septimus, should like it! "I suppose he takes you to be a
child," said Augusta; "but if you are a child you ought to conduct
yourself."

"I suppose he does perceive the difference," said Ayala.

She had not in the least known what the words might convey,--had
probably meant nothing. But to Augusta it was apparent that Ayala
had declared that her lover, her Septimus, had preferred her extreme
youth to the more mature charms of his own true love,--or had,
perhaps, preferred Ayala's raillery to Augusta's serious demeanour.
"You are the most impertinent person I ever knew in my life," said
Augusta, rising from her chair and walking slowly out of the room.
Ayala stared after her, not above half comprehending the cause of the
anger.

Then came the very serious affair of the ball. The Marchesa had asked
that her dear little friend Ayala Dormer might be allowed to come
over to a little dance which her own girls were going to have. Her
own girls were so fond of Ayala! There would be no trouble. There
was a carriage which would be going somewhere else, and she would be
fetched and taken home. Ayala at once declared that she intended to
go, and her Aunt Emmeline did not refuse her sanction. Augusta was
shocked, declaring that the little dance was to be one of the great
balls of the season, and pronouncing the whole to be a falsehood; but
the affair was arranged before she could stop it.

But Mr. Traffick's affair in the matter came more within her range.
"Septimus," she said, "I would rather you would not go to that
woman's party." Septimus had been asked only on the day before the
party,--as soon, indeed, as his arrival had become known to the
Marchesa.

"Why, my own one?"

"She has not treated mamma well,--nor yet me."

"Ayala is going." He had no right to call her Ayala. So Augusta
thought.

"My cousin is behaving badly in the matter, and mamma ought not to
allow her to go. Who knows anything about the Marchesa Baldoni?"

"Both he and she are of the very best families in Rome," said Mr.
Traffick, who knew everything about it.

"At any rate they are behaving very badly to us, and I will take it
as a favour that you do not go. Asking Ayala, and then asking you, as
g