an on the passing state of her
astral body. 'Tis an abrupt descent from the inner self to a hot-water
bottle, I admit; but Mrs. Evelegh took the plunge with grace, like a
sensible woman. Dr. Fortescue-Langley had been annihilated for her at
one blow: she returned forthwith to common-sense and England.

'What will you do with the _chalet_ while you're away?' Lady Georgina
asked, when she announced her intention. 'You can't shut it up to take
care of itself. Every blessed thing in the place will go to rack and
ruin. Shutting up a house means spoiling it for ever. Why, I've got a
cottage of my own that I let for the summer in the best part of
Surrey--a pretty little place, now vacant, for which, by the way, I want
a tenant, if you happen to know of one: and when it's left empty for a
month or two----'

'Perhaps it would do for me?' Mrs. Evelegh suggested, jumping at it.
'I'm looking out for a furnished house for the summer, within easy reach
of Portsmouth and London, for myself and Oliver.'

Lady Georgina seized her arm, with a face of blank horror. 'My dear,'
she cried. 'For you! I wouldn't dream of letting it to you. A nasty,
damp, cold, unwholesome house, on stiff clay soil, with detestable
drains, in the deadliest part of the Weald of Surrey,--why, you and your
boy would catch your deaths of rheumatism.'

'Is it the one I saw advertised in the _Times_ this morning, I wonder?'
Mrs. Evelegh inquired in a placid voice. '"Charming furnished house on
Holmesdale Common; six bedrooms, four reception-rooms; splendid views;
pure air; picturesque surroundings; exceptionally situated." I thought
of writing about it.'

[Illustration: NEVER LEAVE A HOUSE TO THE SERVANTS, MY DEAR!]

'That's it!' Lady Georgina exclaimed, with a demonstrative wave of her
hand. 'I drew up the advertisement myself. Exceptionally situated! I
should just think it was! Why, my dear, I wouldn't let you rent the
place for worlds; a horrid, poky little hole, stuck down in the bottom
of a boggy hollow, as damp as Devonshire, with the paper peeling off the
walls, so that I had to take my choice between giving it up myself ten
years ago, or removing to the cemetery; and I've let it ever since to
City men with large families. Nothing would induce me to allow you and
your boy to expose yourself to such risks.' For Lady Georgina had taken
quite a fancy to Mrs. Evelegh. 'But what I was just going to say was
this: you can't shut your house up; it'll all go moul