d of October, and it was at last decided that the
mission should be made by Lady Albury herself, and made, not to Mrs.
Dosett, at Kingsbury Crescent, but to Mr. Dosett at his office in
Somerset House. "I don't think I could stand Mrs. D.," said Lady
Albury.

Lady Albury was a handsome fashionable woman, rather tall, always
excellently dressed, and possessed of a personal assurance which
nothing could daunt. She had the reputation of an affectionate
wife and a good mother, but was nevertheless declared by some
of her friends to be "a little fast." She certainly was fond of
comedy,--those who did not like her were apt to say that her comedy
was only fun,--and was much disposed to have her own way when she
could get it. She was now bent upon liberating Ayala from her cage,
and for this purpose had herself driven into the huge court belonging
to Somerset House.

Mr. Dosett was dignified at his office with the use of a room to
himself, a small room looking out upon the river, in which he spent
six hours on six days of the week in arranging the indexes of
a voluminous library of manuscript letter-books. It was rarely
indeed that he was disturbed by the presence of any visitor. When,
therefore, his door was opened by one of the messengers, and he was
informed that Lady Albury desired to see him, he was for the moment
a good deal disturbed. No option, however, was given to him as to
refusing admission to Lady Albury. She was in the room before the
messenger had completed his announcement, and had seated herself in
one of the two spare chairs which the room afforded as soon as the
door was closed. "Mr. Dosett," she said, "I have taken the great
liberty of calling to say a few words about your niece, Miss Ayala
Dormer."

When the lady was first announced, Mr. Dosett, in his confusion, had
failed to connect the name which he had heard with that of the lady
who had invited Ayala to her house. But now he recognised it, and
knew who it was that had come to him. "You were kind enough," he
said, "to invite my little girl to your house some weeks ago."

"And now I have come to invite her again."

Mr. Dosett was now more disturbed than ever. With what words was he
to refuse the request which this kind but very grand lady was about
to make? How could he explain to her all those details as to his own
poverty, and as to Ayala's fate in having to share that poverty with
him? How could he explain the unfitness of Ayala's temporary sojo