Miss Haredale sighed, and felt that she would have to swallow a great deal of old-fashioned prejudice before she could willingly see her niece marry a man in business, whose father had got a baronetcy through being mayor on the occasion of a royal visit to his borough; while to see her given to an old _roue_ nobleman would nearly break her heart. It vexed her that Amethyst should be allowed to give up an eligible partner because Una was tired and wanted to go home, and she would much rather have taken her to a morning concert at a duchesss, than to look at pictures in an artist's studio, farther west than Miss Haredale had ever paid a visit in her life, where she saw celebrities, and was seen by them. "They will write about her and criticise her picture, and besides, it will be more amusing," said Lady Haredale. "Take Carrie to the duchess's.--Quite the best thing for her. And as for Una, it's very pretty to see Amethyst taken up with her." By the sunshiny afternoon on which we lift the curtain, Lady Haredale's method, or no method, had had time to work, and Amethyst's name as a beauty was being rapidly made. She had danced with princes, and been praised by painters; her help at a coming fancy-fair, where princesses and actresses held the stalls, had been asked as a special favour, her presence and her costume was mentioned in accounts of fashionable gatherings; all was going well, and Lady Haredale, as she said, was enjoying herself immensely. Her endorsement of the old proverb that honesty is the best policy, though illustrated by Amethyst's career, had not, however, been intended to apply to it. The party had come in from their various afternoon engagements. Amethyst, looking bright and fresh, and Carrie Carisbrooke, with much improved costume and manner, were touching up some flowers at a side table, while the elder ladies rested and talked before dressing for dinner. "You know," said Lady Haredale, "there's not the least use in making pretences about Charles. Every one knows that he has been quite a trial. Now he is going to turn over a new leaf, and I think it is quite my duty to help him, now his debts are paid." "It's very clever of him to have got his debts paid. I can't think how he has done it," said a slow, high voice from the end of the long room. "Tory!" exclaimed Lady Haredale, "what are you doing there?" "I'm learning a German verb, mother," said Tory, standing up. "Don't you think that, as _our brother_ is coming home for the first time, Kat and I might dine down-stairs? We won't speak unless we're spoken to." "You had much better go up-stairs and finish your lessons," said Amethyst, who preferred Tory's absence at critical moments. "Now don't try to suppress us, Amethyst. It isn't worthy of you. It isn't, indeed," said Tory, holding the end of her long tail of hair, and arranging the ribbon on it, with an absurdly childish look.