"I don't like things done in a great hurry," said Mrs. Brenton. And then she added again, "It may annoy Mr. Haverford." "And what do I care if it does?" exclaimed Camilla. She was nervous, and it did her good to speak sharply. "Anyhow, I can't very well draw back now. I have practically engaged the girl, and I settled that we would discuss terms and other things this afternoon. I like her, Agnes. She is a lady, and I think she is just the very person we want for Betty." As the flowers were brought in and placed, Mrs. Lancing ordered tea. "Tell cook to send up all sorts of things," she said. "I am ravenous. How much do you think I ought to give her, Agnes?" was her next question. "Fifty pounds a year?" "My dear child!" said Mrs. Brenton, and then she sighed. "When will you learn the value of money?" "Well, look here," said Camilla, sitting down on the stool, and putting a pleading note in her voice, "will you arrange all this for me? I don't want to let this girl slip through my fingers." She looked over her shoulder at this juncture; the door was half open, and they caught the sound of the children returning. "Well, have you been good little people?" she called aloud, and she got up briskly and went to the door. "I hope you are not tired, Miss Graniger? Oh, my dear! What are you doing? You must not carry that big, big, little lump!" Baby had climbed up into Caroline's arms, and had her arms about the girl's neck, her head was cuddled on Caroline's shoulder. "I is so awful tired, mammy," she said plaintively. Then Betty chimed in-- "I telled her a heap of times she was not to ask poor Caroline to carry her, but"--with a shrug of her shoulders--"you know what Baby is. The most onstinant creature in the world." But Baby only smiled, and kissed Caroline. Even when her mother tried to entice her away, she clung to the girl affectionately. So Camilla went up to the nursery, also scolding tenderly as she went. She wanted to take Miss Graniger down to have tea with her, but the children opposed this so strenuously that she had to give way. She did not leave them till she saw them seated at the table luxuriating in all sorts of delicacies. "Don't let them worry you," Camilla said to Caroline. "Dennis will take them off your hands." However, it seemed that Caroline had no intention of calling Dennis to the rescue, so Mrs. Lancing went downstairs, and wore a very triumphant expression as she entered the drawing-room.