"Now I will begin," said Lady Ursula. She turned towards me. "You know, Rosamund, you treated me very badly yesterday--very badly, and very shabbily, and very cruelly. Oh, my dear, I'm not going to reproach you now--it all turned out for the best, as the good little books say. Listen, Rosamund, please, to my story. After you left us yesterday, I told Rupert that I was distracted, that something had happened which I could not possibly tell him, but that I must instantly go to my dressmaker, and that it would be best for me to go alone. `By no means,' answered Rupert, `I will accompany you.' `Oh, don't,' I said. `I am determined,' he replied. So the carriage was ordered, and we drove to Madame Leroy's together. When I got there, I said, `I shall be some little time engaged.' `Very well,' Rupert answered, `I will wait for you in the carriage.' `Oh, don't,' I said again. But he shook his head. "I saw Madame Leroy, and got your home address from her, Rosamund. I wanted to follow you home, and I wanted Rupert not to come. He did not mind me; he would come. We took the train, and reached your pretty cottage in the country. We were shown into the drawing-room, and presently your mother came into the room. The moment I saw her I burst out crying. Somehow her face made me feel that I was the most miserable girl in the world, and that I was just about to lose everything, and that Rupert never, never had been half so dear to me. Your mother behaved perfectly to me; she took me out of the room, and said nice, kind, comforting sort of words, and soon I stopped crying, and told her that I wanted to see you, and she gave me your present address, and said she would send you a telegram. She was very sorry for me, but she wasn't curious; she was too much of a lady to be curious, only she was just so sweet that the mere fact of my being in trouble made her kind to me. "Rupert and I came away. We went back again to Grosvenor Street, and I felt more sure than ever that all must be up between us. I could not help it, Rosamund--when I got into the house I began to cry again. Then Rupert spoke--oh, dear, I can't tell you how--but somehow I suddenly lost all my terror, and I told him the whole story from the beginning. You dreadful, but dear little benefactress, I took your advice. And what was the consequence? Rupert did just say one word of reproof. He said, `Don't you suppose, Ursula, that I care more for you than for a ruby ring?' So, of course, after that it was all right, and I have never, never been half so happy before in all my life."