tance--both Constance and Annette were now intimately acquainted with
each of Mrs. Hooper's three maids, and all their family histories;
whereas Mrs. Hooper always found it impossible to remember their
surnames. A few days before this date, Susan the housemaid had received
a telegram telling her of the sudden death of a brother in South Africa.
In Mrs. Hooper's view it was providential that the death had occurred in
South Africa, as there could be no inconvenient question of going to the
funeral. But Connie had pleaded that the girl might go home for two days
to see her mother; Annette had done the housework during her absence;
and both maid and mistress had since been eagerly interested in the
girl's mourning, which had been largely supplied out of Connie's
wardrobe. Naturally the opinion of the kitchen was that "her ladyship
is sweet!"

Alice, however, had not found any sweetness in Connie. Was it because
Mr. Herbert Pryce seemed to take a mysterious pleasure in pointing out
her, charms to Alice? Alice supposed he meant it well. There was a
didactic element in him which was always leading him to try and improve
other people. But it filled her with a silent fury.

"Is everybody coming to the picnic to-morrow?" asked Mrs. Hooper
presently.

"Everybody." Alice pointed indifferently to a pile of notes lying on her
desk.

"You asked Connie if we should invite Mr. Falloden?"

"Of course I did, mother. He is away till next week."

"I wonder if she cares for him?" said Mrs. Hooper vaguely.

Alice laughed.

"If she does, she consoles herself pretty well, when he's not here."

"You mean with Mr. Sorell?"

Alice nodded.

"Such a ridiculous pretence, those Greek lessons!" she said, her small
face flaming. "Nora says, after they have done a few lines, Constance
begins to talk, and Mr. Sorell throws himself back in his chair, and
they chatter about the places they've seen together, and the people they
remember, till there's no more time left. Nora says it's a farce."

"I say, who's taking my name in vain?" said Nora, who had just opened
the schoolroom door and overheard the last sentence.

"Come in and shut the door," said Alice, "we were talking about your
Greek lessons."

"Jolly fun they are!" said Nora, balancing herself, as usual, on the
window-sill. "We don't do much Greek, but that don't matter! What are
these notes, mother?"

Mrs. Hooper handed them over. Alice threw a mocking look at her sister.

"Who s