said. She wished to draw her
interlocutress out. "There will be changes enough for me."

"You're leaving Cocker's?"

The ornament of that establishment waited a moment to answer, and then it
was indirect. "Tell me what _you're_ doing."

"Well, what will you think of it?"

"Why that you've found the opening you were always so sure of."

Mrs. Jordan, on this, appeared to muse with embarrassed intensity. "I
was always sure, yes--and yet I often wasn't!"

"Well, I hope you're sure now. Sure, I mean, of Mr. Drake."

"Yes, my dear, I think I may say I _am_. I kept him going till I was."

"Then he's yours?"

"My very own."

"How nice! And awfully rich?" our young woman went on.

Mrs. Jordan showed promptly enough that she loved for higher things.
"Awfully handsome--six foot two. And he _has_ put by."

"Quite like Mr. Mudge, then!" that gentleman's friend rather desperately
exclaimed.

"Oh not quite!" Mr. Drake's was ambiguous about it, but the name of Mr.
Mudge had evidently given her some sort of stimulus. "He'll have more
opportunity now, at any rate. He's going to Lady Bradeen."

"To Lady Bradeen?" This was bewilderment. "'Going--'?"

The girl had seen, from the way Mrs. Jordan looked at her, that the
effect of the name had been to make her let something out. "Do you know
her?"

She floundered, but she found her feet. "Well, you'll remember I've
often told you that if you've grand clients I have them too."

"Yes," said Mrs. Jordan; "but the great difference is that you hate
yours, whereas I really love mine. _Do_ you know Lady Bradeen?" she
pursued.

"Down to the ground! She's always in and out."

Mrs. Jordan's foolish eyes confessed, in fixing themselves on this
sketch, to a degree of wonder and even of envy. But she bore up and,
with a certain gaiety, "Do you hate _her_?" she demanded.

Her visitor's reply was prompt. "Dear no!--not nearly so much as some of
them. She's too outrageously beautiful."

Mrs. Jordan continued to gaze. "Outrageously?"

"Well, yes; deliciously." What was really delicious was Mrs. Jordan's
vagueness. "You don't know her--you've not seen her?" her guest lightly
continued.

"No, but I've heard a great deal about her."

"So have I!" our young lady exclaimed.

Jordan looked an instant as if she suspected her good faith, or at least
her seriousness. "You know some friend--?"

"Of Lady Bradeen's? Oh yes--I know one."

"Only one?"

The girl la