e, before Lord Montbarry could persuade his
companion to remember that dinner was waiting for them. As they
returned, passing under the colonnade, neither of them noticed a lady
in deep mourning, loitering in the open space of the square. She
started as she recognised Agnes walking with the new Lord
Montbarry--hesitated for a moment--and then followed them, at a
discreet distance, back to the hotel.

Lady Montbarry received Agnes in high spirits--with news of an event
which had happened in her absence.

She had not left the hotel more than ten minutes, before a little note
in pencil was brought to Lady Montbarry by the housekeeper. The writer
proved to be no less a person than the widow lady who occupied the room
on the other side of the drawing-room, which her ladyship had vainly
hoped to secure for Agnes. Writing under the name of Mrs. James, the
polite widow explained that she had heard from the housekeeper of the
disappointment experienced by Lady Montbarry in the matter of the
rooms. Mrs. James was quite alone; and as long as her bed-chamber was
airy and comfortable, it mattered nothing to her whether she slept on
the first or the second floor of the house. She had accordingly much
pleasure in proposing to change rooms with Miss Lockwood. Her luggage
had already been removed, and Miss Lockwood had only to take possession
of the room (Number 13 A), which was now entirely at her disposal.

'I immediately proposed to see Mrs. James,' Lady Montbarry continued,
'and to thank her personally for her extreme kindness. But I was
informed that she had gone out, without leaving word at what hour she
might be expected to return. I have written a little note of thanks,
saying that we hope to have the pleasure of personally expressing our
sense of Mrs. James's courtesy to-morrow. In the mean time, Agnes, I
have ordered your boxes to be removed downstairs. Go!--and judge for
yourself, my dear, if that good lady has not given up to you the
prettiest room in the house!'

With those words, Lady Montbarry left Miss Lockwood to make a hasty
toilet for dinner.

The new room at once produced a favourable impression on Agnes. The
large window, opening into a balcony, commanded an admirable view of
the canal. The decorations on the walls and ceiling were skilfully
copied from the exquisitely graceful designs of Raphael in the Vatican.
The massive wardrobe possessed compartments of unusual size, in which
double the number of dresses