ore vases of the sweetest,
gayest blooms imaginable.

Even Toni was satisfied at last, and she hurried over her lunch in good
spirits. Just as she was rising from the table a thought struck her.

"Kate, do you think we might have tea in here? You see--we ought to have
a table, I think--and it wouldn't matter for once, would it?"

Kate, who had experienced sundry qualms at the idea of a feast of
shrimps in the charming, old-world drawing-room, gave a decided assent.

"It would be much more suitable, ma'am. I could put a pretty lace cloth
on the table, and then with some flowers it would look quite nice."

"Thank you, Kate." Toni gave vent to a relieved sigh. "You and Maggie
are really treasures in helping me. Oh--how is Mrs. Blades!"

Mrs. Blades was better; but Kate, who had a shrewd notion of the old
woman's real opinion of her pretty mistress, was not ill-pleased to
inform Toni that the bronchial attack from which she was suffering made
it impossible for her to supervise the household affairs for to-day at
least.

"Well, you must look after things for me, Kate," said Toni, smiling in a
friendly fashion at the girl; and Kate, although she had lived in
"smart" houses, and knew that shrimps and blanc-mange were not usually
met with at tea, succumbed still more completely to that friendly little
smile.

"Why shouldn't she have her tea-party as she likes it?" she said to
herself as she went out. "The master's away, and she's not likely to do
this sort of thing when he's about." Kate, who was thirty-one, and
experienced in the ways of the world, was quite aware of the element of
awe in Toni's love for her husband--an element of which Toni herself was
as yet wholly unsuspicious. "And I've no doubt this young lady as is
coming down isn't used to great things. You can see as Mrs. Rose hasn't
lived with anyone partikler--but she's a real little lady in her ways,
for all that," concluded this authority on the ways of gentlefolk.

* * * * *

Punctually at three o'clock Miss Gibbs arrived; and was shown into the
drawing-room, where Toni awaited her coming.

To tell the truth Miss Gibbs was a little awed by the unexpected
grandeur of her surroundings; and not even the consciousness of her new
linen frock and elaborately-trimmed hat could give her quite her usual
assurance.

She followed Andrews meekly across the hall, hardly daring to lift her
eyes; and when the man threw open the drawin