obliging your ladyship," she said.

"What do you mean, girl?" asked the elder woman.

"I don't mean to be disappointed," answered the girl, but she spoke
quietly and respectfully. "We have pledged our word to one another. If
he is a gentleman, as I know he is, he will keep his, and I shall keep
mine."

Then her ladyship began to talk reason, as people do when it is too late.
She pointed out to the girl the difference of social position, and
explained to her the miseries that come from marrying out of one's
station. But the girl by this time had got over her surprise, and
perhaps had begun to reflect that, in any case, a countess-ship was worth
fighting for. The best of women are influenced by such considerations.

* * * * *

"I am not a lady, I know," she replied quietly, "but my people have
always been honest folk, well known, and I shall try to learn. I am not
wishing to speak disrespectfully of my betters, but I was in service
before I came here, ma'am, as lady's maid, in a place where I saw much of
what is called Society. I think I can be as good a lady as some I know,
if not better."

The countess began to grow angry again. "And who do you think will
receive you?" she cried, "a girl who has served in a pastry-cook's shop!"

"Lady L--- came from behind the bar," Mary answered, "and that's not much
better. And the Duchess of C---, I have heard, was a ballet girl, but
nobody seems to remember it. I don't think the people whose opinion is
worth having will object to me for very long." The girl was beginning
rather to enjoy the contest.

"You profess to love my son," cried the countess fiercely, "and you are
going to ruin his life. You will drag him down to your own level."

The girl must have looked rather fine at that moment, I should dearly
love to have been present.

"There will be no dragging down, my lady," she replied, "on either side.
I do love your son very dearly. He is one of the kindest and best of
gentlemen. But I am not blind, and whatever amount of cleverness there
may be between us belongs chiefly to me. I shall make it my duty to fit
myself for the position of his wife, and to help him in his work. You
need not fear, my lady, I shall be a good wife to him, and he shall never
regret it. You might find him a richer wife, a better educated wife, but
you will never find him a wife who will be more devoted to him and to his
interests."

That practically brought the scene to a clo