reat joke to tell.

"We've found a picture of Miss Driver in the West Gallery," cried Amyas.
"Really it must be her--it's exactly like!"

"Fancy my picture being in your house all this time, Lord
Fillingford--and you never told me!"

Fillingford was looking intently at Jenny now. He raised his brows a
little and smiled, as the result of his survey.

"Yes--I'm afraid I know which picture Amyas means, though I don't often
go to the West Gallery. The one on the right of the north door, Amyas?"

"Yes--in a wonderful gown all over pearls, you know."

"Who is she--besides me?" asked Jenny. "Because I believe she has a look
of me really."

"She's an ancestress--a collateral ancestress at least--of ours. She was
one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies. But we're not proud of her--and you
mustn't be proud of the likeness--if there is one, Miss Driver."

"But I am proud of it. I think she's very pretty--and some day I'll have
a gown made just like that."

"Why aren't we proud of her, father?" asked young Lacey.

"She got into sad disgrace--and very nearly into the Tower, I believe.
Elizabeth made her kinsman Lord Lacey--one of my predecessors--take her
away from Court and bring her down to the country. Here she was kept--in
fact more or less imprisoned. But it didn't last many years. Smallpox
carried her off, poor thing--it was very bad in these parts about
1590--and, unluckily for her, before the queen died.

"What was her name?"

"Mistress Eleanor Lacey."

"And what had she done?" pursued Jenny, full of interest.

"Ah, well, what was the truth about it--who can tell now? It was never
important enough to get put on record. But the family tradition is that
the Queen was jealous of her place in Leicester's affections." He smiled
at Jenny. "I wish Amyas had found you a more acceptable prototype!"

"Oh, I don't know," said Jenny thoughtfully. "I like her looks. Do you
believe that what they said was true?"

"I'm sorry to say that, again according to the family tradition, it
was."

Our dog-cart had been ready for some minutes. Jenny said good-by, and
both father and son escorted her to the door.

"I hope we shall see you at dinner as soon as my sister comes back,"
said Fillingford, as he helped her to mount into the cart. "We must have
a little festivity for Amyas before he joins."

Jenny was all thanks and cordiality, and drove off smiling and waving
her hand gayly.

"Isn't that really rather interesting about Elean