"Are you, dear?" she said tenderly. "Wrap yourself in the eider-down and tell me all about it." Tell her all about it! Maggy was quite unprepared for the calm and friendly overture. "Would you mind if I didn’t?" she faltered. "It would take so long. I dance and sing for my living, that’s all. There’s nothing interesting about it. But I thought you ought to know, else you might have—" Mrs. Pardiston smiled reassuringly. "I should never think ill of a person because they worked for their living. It was nice of you to want to trust me." "I did. You’ve been so kind.... But I’m interrupting you. You were reading." "You can read to me, if you will." Mrs. Pardiston took off her spectacles and handed Maggy the book, indicating the place. "Are you quite warm? But perhaps you would rather go to bed?" "I’ll read a little first, please." Not till then did Maggy observe that the book she held was the Bible. A solemn look came into her face. Her voice was a little unsteady as she began to read. "’Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, "’Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him....’" Chalfont, passing the room on his way to bed, heard Maggy’s voice, and paused to listen. XXXV To get up of a winter’s morning to see his cows milked was not a usual diversion with Chalfont, but to please Maggy he turned out at seven and took her to the home farm to witness that process. She was absorbed by it. She had never before been nearer to a cow than the average hedge permits of; and to see them, as she did now, in the family circle, so to speak, was a delightful novelty to her. Her love of animals was very real. She went into raptures over Chalfont’s velvety-nosed prize Jerseys. In her hurry to get up she had neglected to use any of the creams and unguents which she deemed necessary for the adornment of her face. It had been too dark for Chalfont to notice this omission at first, but on their way back he became aware of it, and also of the flawlessness of her complexion. Without stopping to think, he said: "What have you done to yourself?" "You mean, what have I not done?" she laughed. "I’ve forgotten my face. Left it out." He was on the point of apologizing for his blunder, but said instead: "I like you much better as you are." "That’s what Lexie’s always saying. But it’s habit. When a girl makes-up year in and year out she feels undressed without it. Savages have that feeling, I suppose," she added comically. "I haven’t wished you a happy Christmas yet. I do hope you will be very happy—later on." "Thank you. And I hope you will be happy always." "I’m happy now, at any rate. I believe this is going to be the most heavenly day of my life. I feel it in my bones." A few moments later she burst into Alexandra’s bedroom.