noticing her cousin's silence.
But the moment the carriage stopped, she was ready to give her whole
attention to him and his affairs; she gave him a little nod and smile
full of sympathy as she went up the staircase, and the moment Claudine
opened the door he perceived that he might leave everything in her hands
with the most perfect confidence in her management.

There had been a little flutter of expectation in Lucia's mind for the
last half-hour, in which she wondered her mother did not express more
sympathy; and when, at last, the door opened, she was seized with a
sudden tremor, and for an instant felt herself deaf and blind. The
moment passed, however, and there came sweeping softly into the room a
little figure with golden hair and widely flowing draperies; a fair face
with a pleasant smile, and a clear musical voice; these were the things
that first impressed her as belonging to Maurice's formidable cousin.

Lady Dighton's first words were of course addressed to Mrs.
Costello--they seemed to Lucia to be a plea for a welcome, as Maurice's
near relation--and then the two young women stood face to face and
exchanged one quick glance. Lady Dighton held out her hand.

"Miss Costello," she said, "you and I are so totally unlike each other,
that I am certain we were meant to be friends--will you try?"

The suddenness and oddity of the address struck Lucia dumb. She gave her
hand, however, to her new friend with a smile, and as she did so, her
eye caught the reflection of their two figures in a glass opposite.

Truly, they were unlike each other--very opposites--but either because,
or in spite of the difference, they seemed to suit each other.

Half an hour spent in calling upon or receiving a call from an entire
stranger, is generally a very heavy tax on one's good humour; but
occasionally, when the visit is clearly the beginning of a pleasant
acquaintance--perhaps a valuable friendship--things are entirely
different. Lady Dighton had come with the intention of making herself
agreeable, and few people knew better how to do it; but she found no
effort necessary, and time slipped away more quickly than she thought
possible. She stayed, in fact, until she felt quite sure her husband
would have been waiting so long as to be growing uneasy, and when she
did get up to go away, she begged Mrs. Costello and Lucia to dine with
her next day.

"And Maurice," she said, "you must persuade Miss Costello to join us in
an excu