“Very little at present, I must confess,” answered Janet, with a wan smile.  “The chief thing for which I care just now is to know that so long as I remain at Deepley Walls I shall be near you; and that of itself would be sufficient to enable me to rest contented under worse inflictions than Lady Chillington’s ill-temper.”

“You ridiculous Janet!  Ah! if I only dared to tell you everything.  But that must not be.  Let us rather talk of what your duties will be in your new situation.”

“Yes, tell me about them, please,” said Janet, “and you shall see in time to come that your words have not been forgotten.”

“To begin:  you will have to go to her ladyship’s room precisely at eight every morning.  Sometimes she will not want you, in which case you will be at liberty till after breakfast.  Should she want you it will probably be to read to her while she sips her chocolate, or it may be to play a game of backgammon with her before she gets up.  A little later on you will be able to steal an hour or so for yourself, as while her ladyship is undergoing the elaborate processes of the toilette, your services will not be required.  On coming down, if the weather be fine, she will want the support of your arm during her stroll on the terrace.  If the weather be wet, she will probably attend to her correspondence and book-keeping, and you will have to fill the parts both of amanuensis and accountant.  When Mr. Madgin, her ladyship’s man of business, comes up to Deepley Walls, you will have to be in attendance to take notes, write down instructions, and so on.  By-and-by will come luncheon, of which, as a rule, you will partake with her.  After luncheon you will be your own mistress for an hour while her ladyship sleeps.  The moment she wakes you will have to be in attendance, either to play to her, or else to read to her—­perhaps a little French or Italian, in both of which languages I hope you are tolerably proficient.  Your next duty will be to accompany her ladyship in her drive out.  When you get back, will come dinner, but only when specially invited will you sit down with Lady Chillington.  When that honour is not accorded you, you and I will dine here, darling, by our two selves.”

“Then I hope Lady Chillington will not invite me oftener than once a month,” cried impulsive Janet.

“The number of your invitations to dinner will depend upon the extent of her liking for you, so that we shall soon know whether or no you are a favourite.  She may or may not require you after dinner.  If she does require you, it may be either for reading or music, or to play backgammon with her; or even to sit quietly with her without speaking, for the mere sake of companionship.  One fact you will soon discover for yourself—­that her ladyship does not like to be long alone.  And now, dearest, I think I have told you enough for the present.  We will talk further of these things to-morrow.  Give me just one kiss and see what you can find to play among that heap of old music on the piano.  Madame Delclos used to write in raptures of your style and touch.  We will now prove whether her eulogy was well founded.”