a time, her eyes fixed
on the wall before her; then she put out her hand and touched a bell at
her side.

Almost immediately the door opened to admit her maid--a thin, upright
woman with dark eyes, and curly dark hair, disposed so as to hide the
tell-tale wrinkles on her brow and the crow's-feet at the corners of her
eyes. She wore pink bows and a smart little cap and apron of youthful
style; but it would have been evident to the eye of a keen observer that
she was no longer young. She closed the door behind her and came to her
mistress' side.

Florence paused for a minute or two, then spoke in a voice of so harsh
and metallic a quality that her husband would scarcely have recognised
it as hers.

"You have been neglecting your duty. You have not made any report to me
for nearly a week."

"You have not asked me for one, ma'am."

"I do not expect to have to ask you. You are to come to me whenever
there is anything to say."

The woman stood silent; but there was a protest in her very bearing, in
the pose of her hands, the expression of her mouth and eyebrows. Flossy
looked at her once, then turned her head away and said--

"Go on."

"There is nothing of importance to tell you, ma'am."

"How do you know what is important and what is not? For instance, Miss
Enid was found by the General crying in the conservatory this morning. I
want to know why she cried."

The maid--whose name was Parker--sniffed significantly as she replied--

"It's not easy to tell why young ladies cry, ma'am. The wind's in the
east--perhaps that has something to do with it."

"Oh, very well!" said Mrs. Vane coldly. "If the wind is in the east, and
that is all, Parker, you had better find some position in the world in
which your talents will be of more use to you than they are to me. I
will give you a month's pay instead of the usual notice, and you can
leave Beechfield to-night."

The maid's face turned a little pale.

"I'm sure I beg pardon, ma'am," she said rather hurriedly; "I didn't
mean that I had nothing to say. I--I've served you as well as I could,
ma'am, ever since I came." There was something not unlike a tear in her
beady black eyes.

"Have you?" said her mistress indifferently. "Then let me hear what you
have been doing during the last few days. If your notes are not worth
hearing"--she made a long pause, which Parker felt to be ominous, and
then continued calmly--"there is a train to London to-night, and no
doubt your