ears? Ah! I know _la belle cousine's_ little ways.'

This was so exact a description of my conversation with Miss Darrell that
I laughed in a rather guilty fashion. Lady Betty clapped her hands
delightfully.

'Oh, I have found you out. You are not a bit solemn, really, only you put
on the airs of a sister of mercy. So you don't like Etta; you need not be
afraid of telling me so; she is the greatest humbug in the world, only
Giles is so foolish as to believe in her. I call her a humbug because she
pretends to be what she is not; she is really a most prosaic sort of
person, and she wants to make people believe that she is a soft romantic
body.'

'You are not very charitable in your estimate of your cousin, Lady
Betty,'

'Then she should not lead Gladys such a life. Poor dear majesty, to be
ruled by her prime minister! I should like to see Etta try to dictate to
me. Why, I should laugh in her face. She would not attempt it again. I
can't think how it is,' looking a little grave, 'that she has Gladys so
completely under her thumb. Gladys is too proud to own that she is afraid
of her, but all the same she never dares to act in opposition to Etta.'

Lady Betty's confidence was rather embarrassing, but I hardly knew how to
check it. I began to think the household at Gladwyn must be a very queer
one. Uncle Max had already hinted at a want of harmony between Mr.
Hamilton and his step-sisters, and Miss Darrell seemed hardly a favourite
with him, although he was too kind-hearted to say so openly.

'Has your cousin lived long with you?' I ventured to ask.

'Oh yes; ever since Gladys and I were little things; before mamma died.
Auntie lived with us too: poor auntie, we were very fond of her, but she
was a sad invalid; she died about three years ago. Etta has managed
everything ever since.'

'Do you mean that Miss Darrell is housekeeper? I should have thought that
would have been your sister's place.'

'Oh, Gladys is called the mistress of her house, but none of the servants
go to her for orders. If she gives any, Etta is sure to countermand
them,'

'It is partly Gladys's fault,' went on Lady Betty, in her frank outspoken
way. 'She tried for a little while to manage things; but either she was a
terribly bad housekeeper, or Etta undermined her influence in the house;
everything went wrong, and Giles got so angry,--men do, you know, when
the dear creatures' comforts are invaded: so there was a great fuss, and
Gladys gave i