"It might be, but it isn't. I can read faces, and I like that young lady's. Yes, she's a lady, poor girl. Well, she might have hit upon a worse mistress; I shan't bang her about the head with a hair brush when I'm in a temper, as Lady Courtney does her maid. There, spare your remonstrances, my dear. The girl's engaged, and I mean to keep her. And now there are three or four people coming to dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Davenant, Jack--I mean Mr. Newcombe--and that strange girl, Una. What a lovely creature she is! Do you know I rather think she will become Mrs. Stephen Davenant." "She is a very nice girl," said Mrs. Fellowes. "She ought to make a good match." "_Ay de me_," said Lady Bell, with a sigh. "I'm sick of that word. Men and women don't 'marry' now, they make 'good matches.' My dear, I hate your worldly way of looking at matrimony. If I were a poor girl, I'd marry the man of my heart, if he hadn't a penny. Ah, and if he were the baddest of bad lots." "Like Jack Newcombe, for instance," said Mrs. Fellowes, archly. "Yes," said Lady Bell, turning with the door in her hand; "like Jack Newcombe," and she ran up to her room. Punctual to the minute, Laura Treherne knocked at the door of the dressing-room. Lady Bell was seated before the glass, surrounded by her walking clothes, which, as was her custom, she had slipped out of or flung carelessly aside. Without a word Laura picked them up and put them in the wardrobe, and without a word took up the hair brushes. Lady Bell watched her in the glass, and gave her a hint now and then, and when her hair was dressed glanced round approvingly. "Yes," she said, "that is very nice; and you have not hurt me once. The last maid used to pull me terribly. I suppose she was thinking of her young man. By the way, are you engaged?" The dark face flushed for a moment, then grew pale. "No, my lady." "I'm glad of it. Take my advice and don't be. That sounds selfish, doesn't it. Now you want to know what I am going to wear. I don't know myself. What would you choose? Go to the wardrobe." Laura went to the wardrobe, and came back after a minute or two with a dress of black satin and lace looped up with rosebuds of the darkest red. It was one newly arrived from Worth. Lady Bell nodded. "Yes, that just suits me. Give me a lady for good taste! And now choose the ornaments. There is the jewel-box." Laura chose the set of rubies and diamonds, and Lady Bell smiled again. "I shall look rather Spanish. Never mind. Let us try them." With deft and gentle hands Laura helped her to dress, and Lady Bell nodded approval. "Am I ready?" Laura hesitated a moment. "Will your ladyship wear the pendant?" Lady Bell glanced in the glass. "Ah, I see, you think that is rather too much against the rosebuds. You are right. Take it off, please. Thanks. Put the key of the jewel-box in your pocket. Stay! there is a chain for you to wear it on;" and she took out a small gold chain. "You can keep that as your own."