dles had burned to their sockets, and inquired if Miss Redmond had
been wakeful.

"Mr. Hambleton was very ill. Everybody in the house was up till near
morning," replied Agatha rather tartly.

"Oh, what a pity! Could I have done anything? I never heard a sound,"
cried Lizzie effusively.

"No, there was nothing you could have done," said Agatha.

"It's very bad for your voice, Miss Redmond, staying up all night,"
went on Lizzie solicitously. "You're quite pale this morning. And
with your western tour ahead of you!"

Agatha let these adjurations go unanswered. It occurred to Lizzie that
possibly she had allied herself with a mistress who was foolish enough
to ruin her public career by private follies, such as worrying about
sick people. Heaven, in Lizzie's eyes, was the glare of publicity; and
since she was unable to shine in it herself, she loved to be attached
to somebody who could. Her fidelity was based on Agatha's celebrity as
a singer. She would have preferred serving an actress who was all the
rage, but considered a popular singer, who paid liberally, as the next
best thing.

There was always enough common sense in Lizzie's remarks to make some
impression, even on a person capable of the folly of mourning at a
death bed. Agatha's spirits, freshened by hope and the sleep of
health, rose to a buoyancy which was well able to deal with practical
questions. She quickly formed a plan for the day, though she was wise
enough to withhold the scheme from the maid.

Agatha drank her coffee, ate sparingly of Sallie's toast, and, leaving
Lizzie with a piece of sewing to do, went first to James Hambleton's
room. After ten minutes or so, she slowly descended the stairs and
went out the front way. She circled the garden and came round to the
open kitchen door. Sallie was kneeling before her oven, inspecting
bread. Agatha, watched her while she tapped the bottom of the tin,
held her face down close to the loaf, and finally took the whole baking
out of the oven and tipped the tins on the table.

"That's the most delicious smell that ever was!" said Agatha.

Sallie jumped up and pulled her apron straight.

"Lor', Miss Redmond, how you scared me! Couldn't you sleep any longer?"

"I didn't want to; I'm as good as new. Tell me, Sallie, where all the
people are. Mr. Hand is in Mr. Hambleton's room, I know, but where are
the others?"

"I guess they're all parceled round," said Sallie with symptoms of
sniffi