"Then I had better run away to save my neck," I said, laughing over my shoulder as I opened the door and ran up the stairs, and I peeped at him from the landing above. He had come out into the hall. "Good-bye," I called, and, without waiting to see Lady Ver, he tramped down the stairs and away. "Evangeline, what _have_ you been doing?" she asked, when I got into her room, where her maid was settling her veil before the glass, and trembling over it. Lady Ver is sometimes fractious with her--worse than I am with Veronique, far. "Evangeline, you look naughtier than ever--confess at once." "I have been as good as gold," I said. "Then why are those two emeralds sparkling so, may one ask?" "They are sparkling with conscious virtue," I said, demurely. "You have quarrelled with Mr. Carruthers--go away, Welby! Stupid woman, can't you see it catches my nose!" Welby retired meekly. (After she is cross, Lady Ver sends Welby to the theatre. Welby adores her.) "Evangeline, how dare you! I see it all. I gathered bits from Robert. You have quarrelled with the very man you must marry!" "What does Lord Robert know about me?" I said. That made me angry. "Nothing; he only said Mr. Carruthers admired you at Branches." "Oh!" "He is too attractive--Christopher! He is one of the 'married women's pets,' as Ada Fairfax says, and has never spoken to a girl before. You ought to be grateful we have let him look at you--minx!--instead of quarrelling, as I can see you have." She rippled with laughter, while she pretended to scold me. "Surely I may be allowed that chastened diversion!" I said. "I can't go to theatres!" "Tell me about it," she commanded, tapping her foot. But early in Mrs. Carruthers's days I learned that one is wiser when one keeps one's own affairs to one's self, so I fenced a little, and laughed, and we went out to drive finally, without her being any the wiser. Going into the park, we came upon a troop of the 3d Life Guards, who had been escorting the king to open something, and there rode Lord Robert in his beautiful clothes and a floating plume. He did look so lovely, and _my_ heart suddenly began to beat--I could feel it, and was ashamed, and it did not console me greatly to reflect that the emotion caused by a uniform is not confined to nursemaids. Of course it must have been the uniform and the black horse--Lord Robert is nothing to me. But I hate to think that, mamma's mother having been nobody, I should have inherited these common instincts! 300 PARK STREET, Thursday evening, _November 24th._