’There are many visitors staying at the Towers—­oh, yes! a great many:  the duchess and Lady Alice, and Mr. and Mrs. Grey, and Lord Albert Monson and his sister, and my old friend Captain James of the Blues—­ many more, in fact.  But of course I preferred going to Lady Cumnor’s own room, where I could see her and Lady Harriet quietly, and where we were not disturbed by the bustle downstairs.  Of course we were obliged to go down to lunch, and then I saw my old friends, and renewed pleasant acquaintances.  But I really could hardly get any connected conversation with any one.  Lord Cumnor seemed so delighted to see me there again:  though there were six or seven between us, he was always interrupting with some civil or kind speech especially addressed to me.  And after lunch Lady Cumnor asked me all sorts of questions about my new life with as much interest as if I had been her daughter.  To be sure, when the duchess came in we had to leave off, and talk about the trousseau she is preparing for Lady Alice.  Lady Harriet made such a point of our meeting at the ball; she is a good, affectionate creature, is Lady Harriet!’

This last was said in a tone of meditative appreciation.

The afternoon of the day on which the ball was to take place, a servant rode over from Hamley with two lovely nosegays, ‘with the Mr Hamleys’ compliments to Miss Gibson and Miss Kirkpatrick.’  Cynthia was the first to receive them.  She came dancing into the drawing-room, flourishing the flowers about in either hand, and danced up to Molly, who was trying to settle to her reading, by way of passing the time away till the evening came.

‘Look, Molly, look!  Here are bouquets for us!  Long life to the givers!’

‘Who are they from?’ asked Molly, taking hold of one, and examining it with tender delight at its beauty.

’Who from?  Why, the two paragons of Hamleys, to be sure!  Is it not a pretty attention?’

‘How kind of them!’ said Molly.

’I’m sure it is Osborne who thought of it.  He has been so much abroad, where it is such a common compliment to send bouquets to young ladies.’

‘I don’t see why you should think it is Osborne’s thought!’ said Molly, reddening a little.  ’Mr. Roger Hamley used to gather nosegays constantly for his mother, and sometimes for me.’

’Well, never mind whose thought it was, or who gathered them; we’ve got the flowers, and that’s enough.  Molly, I’m sure these red flowers will just match your coral necklace and bracelets,’ said Cynthia, pulling out some camellias, then a rare kind of flower.

‘Oh, please, don’t!’ exclaimed Molly.  ’Don’t you see how carefully the colours are arranged—­they have taken such pains; please, don’t.’

‘Nonsense!’ said Cynthia, continuing to pull them out; ’see, here are quite enough.  I’ll make you a little coronet of them—­sewn on black velvet, which will never be seen—­just as they do in France!’