e of your many lovers may come after
you from Bath! Oh, Molly!" with a little scream, for Molly, with eyes
flashing once more, had sprung up from her knees to inflict a vicious
pinch upon the equivocator's arm.

"Yes, miss, you shall be pinched till you confess." Then flouting her
with a sudden change of mood, "I am sure I don't want to know your
wonderful secret,"--seizing her comb and passing it crackling through
her hair with quite unnecessary energy--"Mademoiselle la Cachotiere.
Anyhow, it cannot be very interesting.... _Mrs. Smith!_ Fancy caring
for a man called Smith! If you smile again like that, Madeleine, I
shall beat you."

The two sisters looked at each other for a second as if hesitating on
the brink of anger, and then both laughed.

"Never mind, I shall pay you out yet," quoth Molly, tugging at her
black mane. "So our lovers are to come after us, is _that_ it? Do you
know, Madeleine," she went on, calming down, "I almost regret now that
I would not listen to young Lord Dereham, simpleton though he be. He
looked such a dreadful little fright that I only laughed at him.... I
should have laughed at him all my life. But it would perhaps have been
better than this dependence on Tanty, with her sudden whims and
scampers and whisking of us away into the wilderness. Then I should
have had my own way always. Now it's too late. Tanty told me yesterday
that she sees he is a dissolute young man, and that his dukedom is
only a Charles II. creation, and 'We know what that means,' she added,
and shook her head. I am sure I had not a notion, but I shook my head
too, and said, 'Of course, that made it impossible.' I was really
afraid she would want me to marry him. She was dreadfully pleased and
said I was a true O'Donoghue. Oh, dear! I don't know _anything_ about
love. I can't imagine being in love; but one thing is certain, I could
never, never, never allow a horrid little rat like Lord Dereham to
make love to me, to kiss me, nor, indeed, any man--oh, horror! How you
are blushing, my dear! Come here into the light. It would be good for
your soul, indeed it would, to confess!"

But Madeleine, burying her hot cheeks in her sister's neck and
clasping her with gentle caresses, was not to be drawn from her
reticence. Molly pushed her off at last, and gave a hard little
good-night kiss like a bird-peck.

"Very well; but you might as well have confessed, for I shall find out
in the long run. And who knows, perhaps you may