and you know her way.'

'Lady Betty, I am busy; besides which, I do not wish to hear any more of
your cousin's improving conversation.'

'Oh, there is nothing more to tell,' she returned triumphantly. 'Giles
silenced her so completely that she did not dare to open her lips again.
Oh, she is properly frightened of Giles when he is in one of his moods.
He told her that he disliked observations of this sort, that in his
opinion they were both undignified and vulgar, especially when they
related to a person whom he so much respected as Miss Garston. "And allow
me to remark," he continued, looking at poor little me rather fiercely,
as though I were in fault too, "that I shall consider it an honour if
Miss Garston bestows her friendship on any member of my household. I am
very glad she seems to like Gladys, and I only hope she will do the poor
girl good and come every day if she likes, and that is all I mean to say
on the subject." But I think he said quite enough; don't you, Miss
Garston?' finished naughty Lady Betty, looking up at me with such
innocent eyes that I could not have scolded her any more than I could
have scolded a kitten.

But if only Lady Betty could learn to hold her tongue--!

CHAPTER XX

ERIC

That afternoon I had rather an adventure. I was just walking up the hill
on my way to the post-office, when a handsome carriage came round the
corner by the church rather sharply, and the same moment a little dog
crossing the road in the dusk seemed to be under the horses' feet.

That was my first impression. My next was that the coachman was trying
to pull up his horses. There was a sudden howl, the horses kicked and
plunged, some one in the carriage shrieked, and then the little dog was
in my arms, and even in the dim light I could feel one poor little leg
was broken.

The horses were quieted with difficulty, and the footman got down and
went to the carriage window.

'It is poor little Flossie, ma'am,' he said, touching his hat: 'she must
have got out into the road and recognised the carriage, for she was under
the horses' feet. This lady got her out somehow.' And indeed I had no
idea how I had managed it. One of the horses had reared, and his front
hoof almost touched me as I snatched up Flossie. I suppose it was a risky
thing to do, for I never liked the remembrance afterwards, and I do not
believe I could have done it again.

'Oh dear! oh dear!' observed a pleasant voice, 'do let me thank the