that stripped life of all happiness, all illusion, all
love--and made it just a selfish mockery of a world!

How wonderfully true her father's diagnosis was!

Here was a family with everything to make them happy--yet none of them
seemed to breathe a happy breath, think a happy thought, or know a
happy hour.

The maid had placed Peg's scanty assortment of articles on the
dressing-table. They looked so sadly out of place amid the satin-lined
boxes and perfumed drawers that Peg felt another momentary feeling of
shame. Since her coming into the house she had experienced a series of
awakenings. She sturdily overcame the feeling and changed her cheap
little travelling suit for one of the silk dresses her father had
bought her in New York. By the time she had arranged her hair with a
big pink ribbon and put on the precious brown silk garment she began to
feel more at ease. After all, who were they to intimidate her? If she
did not like the house and the people, after giving them a fair trial,
she would go back to New York. Very much comforted by the reflection
and having exhausted all the curious things in the little Mauve-Room
she determined to see the rest of the house.

At the top of the stairs she met the maid Bennett.

"Mrs. Chichester left word that you were not to leave your room without
permission. I was just going to tell you," said Bennett.

All Peg's independent Irish blood flared up. What would she be doing
shut up in a little white-and-gold room all day? She answered the maid
excitedly:

"Tell Mrs. CHI-STER I am not goin' to do anythin' of the kind. As long
as I stay in this house I'll see every bit of it!" and she swept past
the maid down the stairs into the same room for the third time.

"You'll only get me into trouble," cried the maid.

"No, I won't. I wouldn't get you into trouble for the wurrld. I'll get
all the trouble and I'll get it now." Peg ran across, opened the door
connecting with the hall and called out at the top of her voice:

"Aunt! Cousins! Aunt! Come here, I want to tell ye about myself!"

"They've all gone out," said the maid quickly.

"Then what are ye makin' such a fuss about? You go out too."

She watched the disappointed Bennett leave the room and then began a
tour of inspection. She had never seen so many strange things outside
of a museum.

Fierce men in armour glared at her out of massive frames: old gentlemen
in powdered wigs smiled pleasantly at her; haughty ladies in