there was a sudden whiteness, Lucilla and
the German both tried to reseat her; but with readier judgment Owen made
two long steps, gathered her up in his strong arms, and bore her through
the curtains and out at the open window like a mere infant.

'Don't come, don't--it will only make more fuss--nobody has seen. Go to
Madame Hedwig; tell her from me to go on to her next, and cover her
retreat,' said Lucilla, as fast as the words would come, signing back
Honora, and hastily disappearing between the curtains.

There was a command in Lucilla's gestures which always made obedience the
first instinct even with Honora, and her impulse to assist thus
counteracted, she had time to recollect that Lucy might be supposed to
know best what to do with the schoolmistress, and that to dispose of her
among her ladies' maid friends was doubtless the kindest measure.

'I must say I am glad,' she said; 'the poor thing cannot be quite so much
spoilt as they wished.'

The concert proceeded, and in the next pause Honor fell into conversation
with a pleasant lady who had brought one pair of young daughters in the
morning, and now was doing the same duty by an elder pair.

Phoebe was standing near the window when a touch on her arm and a
whispered 'Help! hush!' made her look round. Holding the curtain apart,
so as to form the least possible aperture, and with one finger on her
lip, was Lucy's face, the eyes brimming over with laughter, as she
pointed to her head--three of the hooks had set their barbs deep into the
crimson satin curtain, and held her a prisoner!

'Hush! I'll never forgive you if you betray me,' she whispered, drawing
Phoebe by the arm behind the curtain; 'I should expire on the spot to be
found in Absalom's case. All that little goose's fault--I never reckoned
on having to rush about this way. Can't you do it? Don't spare
scissors,' and Lucilla produced a pair from under her skirt. 'Rashe and
I always go provided.'

'How is she?--where is she?' asked Phoebe.

'That's exactly what I can't tell. He took her out to the fountain; she
was quite like a dead thing. Water wouldn't make her come to, and I ran
for some salts; I wouldn't call anybody, for it was too romantic a
condition to have Owen discovered in, with a fainting maiden in his arms.
Such a rummage as I had. My own things are all jumbled up, I don't know
how, and Rashe keeps nothing bigger than globules, only fit for fainting
lady-birds, so I went to Lo