I had not seen Miss Hamilton since the evening Uncle Max discovered us together, and I could not resist the temptation of finding her alone.  Lady Betty had said she was in her room, and looked dreadfully dull.  I had promised Max to be good to her, so of course it was my duty to go and cheer her up.  I made this so plain to my conscience that in five minutes more I was on the road to Gladwyn, and before the church bells had stopped ringing I had entered the dark shrubberies, and was looking at the closed windows, wondering which of them belonged to Miss Hamilton’s room.

I was agreeably surprised when a pretty-looking maid admitted me.  I had taken a strange dislike to Leah, and the man who had waited upon us at dinner that evening had a dark, unprepossessing face; but this girl looked bright and cheerful, and took my message to Miss Hamilton at once without a moment’s hesitation.  She returned almost immediately.  Miss Hamilton was in her room, but she would be very glad to see me, and the girl looked glad too as she led the way to the turret-room.  Miss Hamilton was standing on the threshold, and met me with outstretched hands; she looked ill and worn, and had a soft white shawl drawn closely round her as though she were chilly, but her eyes brightened at the sight of me.

’This is good of you, Miss Garston; I never expected such a pleasure.  That will do, Chatty; you can close the door.’  And, still holding my hand, she drew me into the room.  It was a pretty room, but furnished far more simply than Miss Darrell’s.  The deep bay-window formed a recess large enough to hold the dressing-table and a chair or two, and was half-hidden by the blue cretonne curtains; besides this there were two more windows.  Miss Hamilton had been sitting in a low cushioned chair by the fire; a small table with a lamp and some books was beside her; a Persian kitten lay on the white rug.  On a stand beside a chair was a large, beautifully-painted photograph in a carved frame; the folding doors were open, and a vase of flowers stood before it.

‘What has put this benevolent idea into your head?’ she asked, as she drew forward a comfortable wicker chair with a soft padded seat.  ’I thought I had a long, dull evening before me, with no resource but my own thoughts, for I was tired of reading.  I could scarcely believe Chatty when she said that you were in the drawing-room.’

I told Miss Hamilton of Lady Betty’s visit, and she laughed quite merrily.

’Good little Betty!  She is always trying to give me pleasure.  She wanted to stay with me herself, only Etta said it was no use for two people to stop away from church.  They have all gone, even Thornton and Leah.  I believe only Parker and Chatty are in the house.’

‘Is Chatty the housemaid?’

’No, the under-housemaid; but Catherine’s father is ill, so she has gone to nurse him—­’

‘And Leah—­who is Leah?  I mean what is her capacity in the household?’ as Miss Hamilton looked rather surprised at my question.