e prime of ripe, rich
womanhood, and its perfect proportions were fully set off by her
close-fitting but perfectly plain black dress.

A little hum of approval greeted her from this well-bred audience as
she sat down and swept her fingers with a flourish over the keys.
Then, without further prelude, she sang a little French song in a
pleasing, musical voice, without much compass, but well trained;
before the applause ended she broke into a Spanish ballad, tender and
passionate, which gained her still greater success; and thus accepted
and approved amidst continual cries of "Brava!" and "Encore!" she was
not allowed to leave her seat until she had sung at least a dozen
times.

When she arose from the piano Lady Essendine went up to her,
patronising and gracious.

"Oh! thank you so much. I don't know when I have heard anything so
charming."

Other ladies followed suit, and, amidst the general cries of approval,
the beautiful singer was engaged a dozen deep to sing at other great
houses in the town.

Presently they pressed her to perform again. Was she not paid for it?
No one, Lady Essendine least of all, thought for one moment of her
_protegee's_ fatigue, and the poor singer might have worked on till
she fainted from exhaustion had not the son of the house interposed.

"You must be tired, mademoiselle," said Lord Lydstone, coming up to
the piano. "Surely you would like a little refreshment? Let me take
you to the tea-room," and, offering his arm, he led her away, despite
his mother's black looks and frowns of displeasure.

"Lydstone is so impulsive," she whispered to the first confidant she
could find. It was Colonel Wilders, one of the family--a poor
relation, in fact, commonly called by them "Cousin Bill"--a hale,
hearty, middle-aged man, with grey hair he was not ashamed of, but
erect and vigorous, with a soldierly air. "I wish he would not
advertise himself with such a person in this way."

"A monstrously handsome person!" cried the blunt soldier, evidently
cordially endorsing Lord Lydstone's taste.

"That's not the question, Colonel Wilders; it was not my son's place
to take her to the tea-room, and I am much annoyed. Will you, to
oblige me, go and tell Lydstone I want to speak to him?"

Cousin Bill, docile and obsequious, hurried off to execute her
ladyship's commission. He found the pair chatting pleasantly together
in a corner of the deserted tea-room, and delivered his message.

"Oh, bother!" cried