and rather dull light-coloured eyes.

'Well, Leah,' demanded Lady Betty, rather sulkily, 'what is your business
with Miss Garston?'

'My business is with you, Lady Betty,' returned the woman
good-humouredly. 'Master came in just now and asked where you were;
I think he told Miss Darrell that it was too late for you to be out
walking: so Miss Darrell said she believed you were at the White Cottage,
for she saw your muff lying on Miss Garston's table; so she told me to
step up here, as it was too dark for you to walk alone, and I was to tell
you that they would be waiting dinner.'

'It is just like her interference,' muttered Lady Betty. 'But I suppose
there would be a pretty fuss if I let the dinner spoil. Help me on with
my jacket, Leah; as you have come when no one wanted you, you had better
make yourself useful.'

She spoke with the peremptoriness of a spoiled child, but the woman
smiled pleasantly and did as she was bid. She seemed a civil sort of
person, evidently an old family servant. Something had struck me in her
speech. Miss Darrell had seen Lady Betty's muff, and knew of her presence
in the cottage, and yet she had made no remark on the subject; this
seemed strange, but would she not wonder still more at my silence?

'Lady Betty,' I said hastily, as this occurred to me, 'your cousin will
think it odd that I never spoke of you this afternoon; but you ran out of
the room so quickly, and then I forgot all about it.'

'Oh, Etta will know I was only playing at hide-and-seek. Most likely she
will think I bound you to secrecy. What a goose I was to leave my muff
behind me,--the very one Etta gave me, too! why, she would see a pin;
nothing escapes her: does it, Leah?'

'Not much, Lady Betty: she has fine eyes for dust, I tell her. The new
housemaid had better be careful with her room. Now, ma'am, if you are
ready?'

'Good-bye, Miss Garston; we shall meet to-morrow,' returned Lady Betty,
standing on tiptoe to kiss me, and as they went out I heard her say in
quite a friendly manner to Leah, as though she had already forgotten her
grievance,--

'Is not Miss Garston nice, Leah? She has got such a kind face.' But I did
not hear Leah's reply.

I had not seen the last of my visitors, for about an hour afterwards, as
I was finishing a long chatty letter to Jill, there was the sharp click
of the gate again, and Uncle Max came in.

'Are you busy, Ursula?' he said apologetically, as I looked up in some
surprise. '