Mr. Kursdale evidently thought this very unprofessional, and suggested the expediency of a clerk acting as Mrs. Tredethlyn’s proxy; but Maude shook her head. “I will go myself,” she said. “If my husband is still in England, I will find him. There can be no further misunderstanding between us, if once we can meet face to face.” Mr. Kursdale submitted, and departed. Maude ran away to superintend her maid’s packing of a small portmanteau, and Susan sat in the morning-room with Julia. It had been settled that Miss Desmond should drive her back to Petersham after luncheon. They were talking rather ceremoniously, when the door was suddenly opened by an impetuous hand, and Miss Grunderson burst in upon them, more intensely pink than usual. “They wanted me to go to the drawing-room, and they’d go and see if Mrs. Tredethlyn was at home!” exclaimed Rosa. “I know what their going and seeing is. Not at home always, and I do so want to see that poor darling; and I’m sure there’s no one in the world more truly sorry for her than I am; and if going into half-mourning would have been considered a tribute of sincere respect, and not an intrusion or uncalled for, I would have ordered a crape bonnet, trimmed with lilies of the valley and jet beads, directly I heard of it.” Julia interrupted Miss Grunderson with a simple statement of the fact which had put an end to Maude’s brief time of mourning. Rosa’s delight was very genuine, and on being introduced to Mrs. Lesley, she expanded as it was her wont to expand on all occasions. “You can’t think how glad I am!” she exclaimed; “for I assure you when I heard of that _dreadful_ event, I felt as if it was quite hard-hearted of me to be happy, and I have been very happy for the last week or so. In point of fact,” added Miss Grunderson, dragging at the button of a very tight glove in evident embarrassment, “I’m engaged to be married.” “Indeed!” said Julia, politely. “Yes. You see as par has long objected to my running after public characters, which of course was tiresome to him,--for of all the people to tear about to all sorts of inaccessible places, and oblige one’s getting up unreasonably early in the morning to hear them or to see them, public characters are the worst,--so par was really glad for me to be seriously engaged to anybody that would keep me quiet, he said, even if the person was not rich; so when Mr. Lowther--Mr. Roderick Lowther, you know--proposed, par happening to be in a good temper, it was all settled immediately.” “I am very glad to hear it,” answered Miss Desmond; “but I am not at all surprised. I quite expected as much.”