rst gasp, of
Lady Agatha.

When she reached her bedroom she almost returned to earth as she
remembered it. Neither of them had dreamed of this--neither of them.
What could she say to Lady Agatha? What would Lady Agatha say to her,
though it had not been her fault? She had not dreamed that such a thing
could be possible. How could she, oh, how could she?

She was standing in the middle of her room with clasped hands. There was
a knock upon the door, and Lady Agatha herself came to her.

What had occurred? Something. It was to be seen in the girl's eyes, and
in a certain delicate shyness in her manner.

"Something very nice has happened," she said.

"Something nice?" repeated Emily.

Lady Agatha sat down. The letter from Curzon Street was in her hand half
unfolded.

"I have had a letter from mamma. It seems almost bad taste to speak of
it so soon, but we have talked to each other so much, and you are so
kind, that I want to tell you myself. Sir Bruce Norman has been to talk
to papa about--about me."

Emily felt that her cup filled to the brim at the moment.

"He is in England again?"

Agatha nodded gently.

"He only went away to--well, to test his own feelings before he spoke.
Mamma is delighted with him. I am going home to-morrow."

Emily made a little swoop forward.

"You always liked him?" she said.

Lady Agatha's delicate mounting colour was adorable.

"I was quite _unhappy_," she owned, and hid her lovely face in her
hands.

In the morning-room Lord Walderhurst was talking to Lady Maria.

"You need not give Emily Fox-Seton any more clothes, Maria," he said. "I
am going to supply her in future. I have asked her to marry me."

Lady Maria lightly gasped, and then began to laugh.

"Well, James," she said, "you have certainly much more sense than most
men of your rank and age."

PART TWO

Chapter Seven

When Miss Emily Fox-Seton was preparing for the extraordinary change in
her life which transformed her from a very poor, hardworking woman into
one of the richest marchionesses in England, Lord Walderhurst's cousin,
Lady Maria Bayne, was extremely good to her. She gave her advice, and
though advice is a cheap present as far as the giver is concerned, there
are occasions when it may be a very valuable one to the recipient. Lady
Maria's was valuable to Emily Fox-Seton, who had but one difficulty,
which was to adjust herself to the marvellous fortune which had befallen
her.

There