tel, where she
found Parker waiting, and a dainty little supper prepared for her.

Flossy did justice to her meal, and then went to bed, where she slept
the sleep of the innocent and the righteous, until Parker appeared at
her bedside the next morning with a breakfast-tray.

"And there's Miss Meldreth in the sitting-room inquiring for you, ma'am.
Is she to come in? I wonder how she knew that you were here?"

"Oh, I saw her accidentally yesterday afternoon," said Mrs. Vane, "and
told her to call! I want to know what she is doing in London. Yes--she
can come in."

Parker accordingly summoned Miss Meldreth, and then, in obedience to a
sign from her mistress, retired rather sulkily. She was not very fond of
Mrs. Vane; but she resented any attempt on the part of a former servant
to come between her and her mistress' confidences; and she had an
impression that there was something between Mrs. Vane and Sabina which
she did not know.

"Well, Sabina, how did the experiment succeed?" said Mrs. Vane easily.
In spite of her look of fatigue and her languid attitude amongst the
pillows, she spoke as if she had not a care in the world.

"It succeeded all right," answered Sabina, a little shortly.

"What did you find out?"

"They're not real--his hair and beard, I mean. It's a wig. He's got
grayish dark-brown hair, and very little of it underneath, and whiskers.
He ain't nearly so old as we thought."

"Tell me how you managed it," said Mrs. Vane--"from beginning to end."

"Well, ma'am, he came in about five, as usual, to his tea; and I says to
aunt Eliza, 'I'll carry in the tray'; and I says, 'what a lot of milk
you've given him! I'll pour a little back.' And says she, 'you'd better
not, for he likes his tea half milk, and he'll only ring for more.'
'Well, then,' I says, 'it'll give me a chance of going in a second
time--and, you know, I like that.' So I emptied part of the milk away,
and then I put half of the stuff that you gave me into his jug, and I
took it into Mr. Dare's sitting-room. He looked at me very sharp when I
went in, almost as if he suspected me of something; but he didn't say
nothing, and neither did I. I set down his tray before him, and he pours
out the tea. Almost before I was out of the door, 'Miss Meldreth,' he
says, 'a little more milk, if you please.' 'Oh, didn't I bring you
enough, sir?' I says. 'If you'll pour that into your cup then, I'll send
out for some more, and it'll be here by the time you've