exasperate me to
distraction, and I should kill anyone who took liberties, so the
situation is a little hard to fill. Do tell me who you are? Where are
you staying in Norton, and how long have you been in England?"

"Just over three weeks, and I like it pretty well, thank you," returned
Cornelia, anticipating the inevitable question, "though I guess I've not
struck the liveliest spot in the land. I'm located with my aunt, Miss
Briskett, in the Park, and my poppar's coming over to fetch me in the
fall."

Madame's interest waned with surprising suddenness. Of an American
girl, almost more than any other, is that worldly adage true that it is
wise to treat her politely, since there is no knowing whom she may
ultimately marry.

A girl of such striking appearance and obvious affluence might belong to
anyone, or become anything in these radical, topsy-turvy days. The
mother of a son with broad acres and small income could not but remember
that a large proportion of present-day duchesses hail from across the
water, but it was a very different matter when the young woman suddenly
assumed the personality of the niece of a middle-class spinster resident
at the Manor gates. To Mrs Greville, Miss Briskett stood as a type of
all that was narrow, conventional, and depressing. As much as she could
trouble herself to dislike any woman outside her own world, she disliked
the rigid, strait-laced spinster, and was fully aware that the dislike
was returned. Miss Briskett invariably declined the yearly invitations
which were doled out to her in company with the other townsfolk,
satisfied that in so doing she proclaimed a dignified disapproval of the
frivolities of the Manor. "Thank goodness, that old cat's not coming!"
was Madame's invariable reception of the refusals, but at the bottom of
her heart she resented the fact that so insignificant a person should
dare to reject her hospitality.

"Miss Briskett's niece. Really! How ver-ry interesting!" she drawled,
in a tone eloquent of the most superlative indifference. Her easy
graciousness of manner became suddenly instinct with patronage, her
eyelids drooped with languid disdain. She sauntered round the room,
giving a touch here and there, turned over the garments which her maid
had laid on the bed ready for Elma's use, and finally sailed towards the
door. "We will leave you to rest, then, as long as you think fit. Pray
ring for anything you require!"

The door closed, l