ondon."

"How dull you will be going and returning to your party alone. I
know!" (her face lightening up as with some magic inspiration) "I'll
come and stay the night with you, dear, see you dressed, and have a
real good gossip up in your room about those stupid Hilliers
afterwards."

Philip's words return to Eleanor: "_At least you will not be together
this evening._" Yet what can she do? Besides it will be such fun to
have Giddy.

So the plan is settled, and that evening Mrs. Mounteagle arrives in a
flowing tea-gown, her maid unpacking a dainty dressing-bag with
gold-topped ornaments, and hanging up a dress for the morning. Giddy
sits in a low arm-chair watching Eleanor's toilette.

"Sarah is doing your hair abominably!" she exclaims. "You will look a
fright. Here, let me show you, my good girl," addressing the maid in
the superior drawl she adopts towards menials. "Twist the coil at the
top--so, like a teapot handle, and let the side pieces wave loosely
over the ears. You don't want to make a guy of your mistress, do you?"

Sarah resents the interference, but between them Eleanor's coiffure is
eventually arranged.

"Now you are lovely; a sight for sore eyes," declares Giddy Mounteagle.
"Yet what is the good after all in being beautiful for such a dowdy
set? They will only hate you for it, as they hate me, the fools! We
cannot help being well favoured."

"And she calls 'erself a lady!" says Sarah, scoffingly, to Judith later
on. "She's as different to our young mistress as chalk to cheese."

"I don't like leaving you alone," declares Eleanor after dinner.

"Afraid I shall steal something?" asks Giddy, laughing. "Don't fret,
my dear, I shall be quite happy in this glorious bookland. Mr. Roche
has a most enviable collection. I have rather a headache, and shall go
to bed early and read. I never sleep before two or three in the
morning; so don't ring, but just throw a stone at my window. I should
love to let you in."

"Just as you please, dear. It is all the same to me."

"You need not sit up for Mrs. Roche," says Mrs. Mounteagle, when she
goes to her room, "and, Sarah! bring me coffee in the morning, my
nerves will not stand tea."

Flinging open her window, Giddy lets the chilly night air mingle with
the fumes of her cigarette, as she lies on a sofa before the fire.

In the meanwhile the beautiful Mrs. Roche is causing quite a sensation
at the Hilliers', who are not so dowdy after all. T