She took my hand. The Countess of Derwent was just saying adieu to another intimate acquaintance who had entered the room as soon as Lilian and I had betaken ourselves into the back drawing-room. She turned when she saw her daughter. "Come, Lilian. I am going. Say good-bye to Lady Anne." "First," said Lilian in her calmest voice, "let me introduce you to the Horror." She drew me forward. The poor Countess's face became crimson. "The what?" she said. "Oh, you called her that yourself when you were congratulating dear Grace on having a husband and ready-made children. Well, this is the girl, and she is a perfect darling, a deliverer for me out of my worst fit of the dumps." "Oh, but they call me Dumps," I could not help saying. "Better and better," said Lady Lilian.--"Now, mother, here she is; judge for yourself." "I must really apologise, Miss Grant," said the Countess. "I must apologise most humbly. I had no idea you were in the room." "There's nothing to apologise for," I answered. "I am awfully obliged to you, for Lady Lilian wouldn't have spoken to me but for your saying that. And you had a right to say it, for I expect I am a horror." "I am sure you are nothing of the sort--Lilian, my dear Lilian." Lady Lilian tripped back. "Ask this child to tea to-morrow.--Come, won't you, Miss--Grant? Now good-bye, my dear; you are a very nice, forgiving sort of girl. Good-bye.--Come, Lilian--come!" PART TWO, CHAPTER EIGHT. GOING TO SCHOOL. All the preparations for school had been made, and it was the day before I was to leave. My trunks--I had several now--were packed. Augusta was coming too, and so was Hermione. Hermione had come to spend the last evening with us in the old house behind the great college. She was very much interested and highly pleased. The last fortnight of my time at home had gone on wings. Lady Lilian St Leger had lifted me into a new world. She was a daring, bright, true-hearted girl. She did not mind treating me with a sort of playful lightness which was very refreshing after the stifling time I had spent in that awful drawing-room; but she also had said good-bye. "We shall meet in the holidays," she said. "I shall see you sometimes. I am to come out as soon as ever I am presented, and I'll be presented at the first Drawing-room. After that it will be nothing but rush and tumult; I'll be wishing myself dead all the time, for there will be no hope of anything. I am going to make up my mind to accept the first man who proposes for me." "Oh, but you won't do that!" I said, for I had very primitive and very sacred ideas on such topics. "Oh, just to get rid of the thing! I only trust he'll be young and poor and ugly. If he is young and poor and ugly, and I fall madly in love with him, there'll be such a rumpus, and that would be a rare bit of fun. But dear, darling mamma will have to give way, because I can always make her do what I like." "But your father?" I said.