"Where is Isabella? where is Matilda? or Favoretta? what is become of them all? do they know I am ill, Grace?" "Oh dear! yes, ma'am; but they're all gone out in the coach, with Mad. de Rosier." "All?" said Mrs. Harcourt. "All, I believe, ma'am," said Grace; "though, indeed, I can't pretend to be sure, since I make it my business not to scrutinize, and to know as little as possible of what's going on in the house, lest I should seem to be too particular." "Did Mad. de Rosier leave any message for me before she went out?" "Not with me, ma'am." Here the prevaricating waiting-maid told barely the truth in words: Mad. de Rosier had left a message with the footman in Grace's hearing. "I hope, ma'am," continued Grace, "you weren't disturbed with the noise in the house early this morning?" "What noise?--I heard no noise," said Mrs. Harcourt. "No noise! dear ma'am, I'm as glad as can possibly be of that, at any rate; but to be sure there was a great racket. I was really afraid, ma'am, it would do no good to your poor head." "What was the matter?" said Mrs. Harcourt, drawing back the curtain. "Oh! nothing, ma'am, that need alarm you--only music and dancing." "Music and dancing so early in the morning!--Do, Grace, say all you have to say at once, for you keep me in suspense, which, I am sure, is not good for my head." "La, ma'am, I was so afraid it would make you angry, ma'am--that was what made me so backward in mentioning it; but, to be sure, Mad. de Rosier, and the young ladies, and Master Herbert, I suppose, thought you couldn't hear, because it was in the back parlour, ma'am." "Hear what? what was in the back parlour?" "Only a dulcimer man, ma'am, playing for the young ladies." "Did you tell them I was ill, Grace?" It was the second time Mrs. Harcourt had asked this question. Grace was gratified by this symptom. "Indeed, ma'am," she replied, "I did make bold to tell Master Herbert, that I was afraid you would hear him jumping and making such an uproar up and down the stairs; but to be sure, I did not say a word to the young ladies--as Mad. de Rosier was by, I thought she knew best." A gentle knock at the door interrupted Mrs. Grace's charitable animadversions. "Bless me, if it isn't the young ladies! I'm sure I thought they were gone out in the coach." As Isabella and Matilda came up to the side of their mother's bed, she said, in a languid voice-- "I hope, Matilda, my dear, you did not stay at home on my account--Is Isabella there? What book has she in her hand?" "Zeluco, mamma--I thought, perhaps, you would like to hear some more of it--you liked what I read to you the other day." "But you forget that I have a terrible headache--Pray don't let me detain either of you, if you have any thing to do for Mad. de Rosier." "Nothing in the world, mamma," said Matilda; "she is gone to take Herbert and Favoretta to Exeter Change."