The old lady shook her head knowingly, and replied, “As poor Rachel says, ‘there are wheels within wheels.’ It seems there is a married brother with his wife living near the ‘croft,’ and I understand there was no love lost between this woman and her sister-in-law. There was some sort of love-affair mixed up in their animosity. Rachel put me to sleep one afternoon telling me about it, so you won’t expect me to remember details. And when the father died, the home had to be broken up anyhow, for the daughter had nothing to live on. I fancy she didn’t care to go to service within the range of the sister-in-law, ‘mistress in her own house.’ There’s a deal of human nature in man, my dear, and especially in woman. Rachel says her friend doesn’t want to go back, but if she doesn’t get a place soon, she’s getting so low spirited that she thinks she will,” continued Mrs. Bray. “You see she has, after all, only a servant’s recommendation—Rachel’s—and that wouldn’t mean much to many, but it may to you, who have known Rachel in my house for so many years, and who understand how faithful and good she is, poor, silly, sentimental thing.” Lucy looked up quickly into her old friend’s face. “I would take your Rachel’s recommendation quite as soon as a ‘character’ from any mistress,” she said. “I think you would be wise to do so,” replied Mrs. Bray. “This woman will be clean and honest, certainly not likely to attract any troublesome flirtations. She’s got the soft Highland voice with a pretty little whine in it.” “Oh, call it a wail!” said Lucy, laughing. “She’s terribly solemn to look at, and she ends her speeches with a sigh,” went on Mrs. Bray. “But she’s not bad-looking, and is of quite superior appearance. Her name is rather a mouthful—Clementina Gillespie—and she’s not a person whom one could reasonably shorten into Clem or Tina. No—it wouldn’t do. You might as well call Robert the Bruce—Bob!” “Will you send her to see me?” asked Lucy. “Yes, I will,” said the old lady. “That ridiculous Rachel will be so pleased! It seems a comfort to her to think of having her dead lover’s dead old friend’s sister to live near her. To me it seems a far-off cry of consolation! But everyone to their taste. And now, at last, we’ll dismiss the kitchen, and you must tell me all about Mr. Challoner.”