nd I am sure Mr.
Hamilton thought so too, for he smiled slightly and said, 'Nonsense,
Etta! you let your tongue run away with you. I daresay that was not
Tudor's meaning at all; he is the most matter-of-fact fellow I know, and
could not coin a compliment to save his life. Besides which, I expect he
has found out by this time that it would be rather difficult to spoil
Miss Garston. That cuts both ways, eh!' looking at me rather
mischievously.

'Oh, if all the gentlemen are in conspiracy to defend Miss Garston, I
will say no more,' returned Miss Darrell, with a shrug, but she did not
say it quite pleasantly. 'Gladys dear, I think we had better retire
before I am quite crushed: Giles's frown has quite flattened me out. Miss
Garston, if you are ready,' making me a mocking little courtesy; but Miss
Hamilton waited for me at the door and linked her arm in mine, taking
possession of me in a graceful way that evidently pleased Max, for he
looked at us smiling.

'Come into the conservatory, Gladys,' whispered Lady Betty in her
sister's ear. 'Etta has a cold coming on, and will be afraid of following
us.'

The conservatory led out of the drawing-room, and was lighted by coloured
lamps that gave a pretty effect; it was full of choice flowers, and two
or three cane chairs filled up the centre. It was not so warm as the
drawing-room, certainly, but it was pleasant to sit there in the dim
perfumed atmosphere and peep through the open window at the firelight.
Miss Darrell followed us to the window with a discontented air.

'I hope you are not going to stay there many minutes, Gladys: you will
certainly give yourself and Miss Garston a bad cold if you do. There is
something wrong with the warming-apparatus, and Giles says it will be
some days before it will be properly warmed. I thought I told you so this
morning.'

'I do not think Miss Garston will take cold, Etta, and it is very
pleasant here'; but, though Miss Darrell retreated from the window, I
think we all felt as much constrained as though she had joined us, for
not a word could escape her ears if she chose to listen.

But this fact did not seem to daunt Lady Betty for long, for she soon
began chattering volubly to us both.

'I am not so cross now as I was,' she said frankly. 'I am afraid I was
very rude to Mr. Tudor at dinner; but what could I do when Etta was so
impertinent? No, she is not there, Gladys; she has gone out of the room,
looking as cross as possible. But