I wished he would not call then.  What was the good of feeding his boyish fancy? it would soon die a natural death, if he would only be wise.  Poor Mr. Tudor!  I began to be afraid that he was very much in earnest after all:  there was a grave expression on his face as he turned away.  Perhaps he knew, as I did, that our big awkward Jill would develop into a splendid woman; that one of these days Jocelyn Garston would be far more admired than her sister; that the ugly duckling would soon change into a swan.  There were times even now when Jill looked positively handsome, if only her short black locks would grow, and if she would leave off hunching her shoulders.

’I should like Lawrence Tudor to have my Jill, if he were only rich; but there is no hope for him now, poor fellow!’ I said to myself, as I walked up the gravel walk towards the house.

Gladwyn looked its best this evening.  The shady little lawns that surrounded the house looked cool and inviting; the birds were singing merrily from the avenue of young oaks; the air was sweet with the scent of May-blossoms and wall-flowers:  great bunches of them were placed in the hall.

Thornton, who admitted me, said that Leah would be waiting for me in the blue room, as Miss Darrell’s room was called; so I went up at once.

I was passing through the dressing-room, when I saw the bedroom door was half opened, and a voice—­I scarcely recognised it as Miss Darrell’s, it was so different from her usual low, toneless voice—­exclaimed angrily, ’You forget yourself strangely, Leah! one would think you were the mistress and I the maid, to hear you speaking to me.’

‘I can’t help that, Miss Etta,’ returned the woman insolently.  ’If you are not more punctual in your payments I will go to the master myself and tell him.’  But here I knocked sharply at the door to warn them of my presence, and Leah ceased abruptly, while Miss Darrell bade me enter.

She tried to meet me as usual, but her face was flushed, and she looked at me uneasily, as though she feared that I had overheard Leah’s speech.  I thought Leah looked sullen and stolid as she waited upon me.  It was a most forbidding face.  I was glad when Miss Darrell dismissed her on some slight pretext.

‘Leah is in a bad temper this evening,’ she observed, examining the clasp of a handsome bracelet as she spoke.  I noticed then that she had beautiful arms, as well as finely-shaped hands, and the emerald-eyed snake showed to advantage.  ’She is a most invaluable person, but she can take liberties sometimes.  Perhaps you heard me scolding her; but I consider she was decidedly in the wrong.’

‘She does not look very good-tempered,’ was my reply.

Miss Darrell still looked flushed and perturbed; but she took up her fan and vinaigrette, and proposed that we should join Lady Betty in the drawing-room.  Leah was in the hall.  As we passed her she addressed Miss Darrell.