Mr.
Hill's agent."

"Mrs. Cowan?" said Miss Leonard, with a ladylike assumption of interest
in the subject.

"Not at all, my dear; the Cowans were worthy people, but Mr. Hill has
changed his agent. Have you not heard? No, of course. Hollingford is the
name of these people. The father was a banker, the bank smashed, and he
ran away with large sums of money."

I thought--nay, I was quite sure--that Miss Leonard started at the
mention of the word Hollingford; and I also thought that she turned
deathly pale; but she bent over her flowers at the moment, and the light
was very subdued. No one else seemed to notice it, so it is just
possible I may have been mistaken.

"Mr. Hill's new agent is, then, the son of Mr. Hollingford, the banker?"
said Miss Leonard, after a pause. "I did not know that they belonged to
that part of the country."

"Oh! I do not know about that; but the mother and son have taken a farm
there lately, trying to make shift for themselves, poor things! They say
young Hollingford has some Quixotic ideas about paying some of his
father's liabilities; and if he has, I am sure it is very creditable to
him. But I for one am inclined to doubt it. Bad conduct generally runs
in families."

"Madam," said I, with my cheeks getting very hot, "Mrs. Hollingford was
my mother's dear friend."

"Highty tighty, Miss Dacre," said the lady, "we never know how our
friends are going to turn out. I say nothing but what is true. And allow
me to warn you, my dear, that if you will persist in identifying
yourself with such people you must make up your mind to hear them spoken
of as they deserve."

"Madam," said I again, flashes of lightning now dancing before my eyes,
"I am very sorry I ever entered your house; and I shall certainly never
enter it again."

Not waiting for more I made her a curtsy, and walked out of the room. I
found the dressing-room where I had left my cloak, fully determined to
go home at once, if I could only get the carriage. I had to wait some
time, however, and whilst I sat alone the door opened and Rachel Leonard
came hurriedly up to my side.

"I could not go away without bidding you good-night," she said, holding
both my hands in both of hers. "Perhaps we may meet again. God bless
you!"

Her voice was unsteady, her face pale, her eyes wet. A lady came to the
door and said, "Now, Rachel, we are waiting!" She dropped my hand and
was gone.

"Who is she?" I asked of Grace, as soon as we were t