There was something in the way she said it that alarmed me, and stirred all my late misgivings about Esther. "There is nothing, Esther?" I whispered. "You are not in trouble, dear?" She looked at me half-startled. "I spoke generally, Hilda. Every one has trouble." "Oh, is that all?" said I; but my mind was not the more at rest. Still, I did not want to surprise Esther's trust. I drew myself a little away from her as I asked in a sprightlier voice: "And the ball, Essie. Were you really so brilliant a success as her ladyship says? Tell me all about it now that we are here quietly by ourselves." "Oh, the ball!" answered Esther, coming back as from a distant country. "Yes, it was very fine, and every one was so kind. Even Lord Cahirduff would dance with me, though he has gout in his knee, and Lady Cahirduff, who is such a handsome woman, with gray hair and bright eyes, said she couldn't make out how it was we were such strangers, that she had known our mother well, and asked if she might call. But Lady O'Brien said she was to come to Annagower one day, Tuesday, I think. Lord Cahirduff is such a dear old man, and pays such handsome compliments, and Lady O'Brien and he kept up a fire of jokes, and Lady O'Brien seemed to like him very much, for she slapped him with her fan several times, and called him an impudent fellow, just as she does Pierce." "Of course," said I, "he was one of her early lovers, and remained single for her sake years after she married Sir Peter. But the young men, Essie?" "I will show you my programme," said Esther, producing it, very crumpled, from her pocket. "The young men were very pleasant, and I could have danced every dance many times over. The girls, too, were very pretty and beautifully dressed, and there were many I thought I should like to know. The only one who was not nice was that horrid little Miss Pettigrew. Do you remember her, Hilda, that day long ago at Annagassan Races? Well, she spoke to me once when I sat near her, resting from a dance, and was by way of being very polite, but I couldn't respond very cordially. She didn't seem to know many ladies, I thought, though she had plenty of partners." "I daresay," said I, carelessly; "but she's not worth talking about. I see a great many initials here. Which of your partners did you like the best?" Esther blushed. "They were all very pleasant, dear Hilda," she said. And then, with a little jerk of the voice, as if she did herself violence in speaking: "Mr. De Lacy was there too, Hilda." "Oh, was he?" said I. "I was just thinking that the frequent 'De L.' here stood for him. And how is he, Essie?" "He did not look well, Hilda, though he said he was well. Those internal hurts take long to heal, and then it must be horrible for him at Angry, horrible." "It is plucky of him to stay there when he might be with his dear old grandfather in Warwickshire." "Yes, isn't it? I think it noble of him, Hilda." "He asked for us all?"