“Yes, it's true I forgot him for the moment. But--” with a laugh--“one rather feels as if she would require a royal duke or something of that sort.” “You think she expects that kind of thing?” rather indifferently. “She? She doesn't think of the subject. She simply thinks of other things--of Lady Anstruthers and Ughtred, of the work at Stornham and the village life, which gives her new emotions and interest. She also thinks about being nice to people. She is nicer than any girl I know.” “You feel, however, she has a right to expect it?” still without more than a casual air of interest. “Well, what do you feel yourself?” said Lady Mary. “Women who look like that--even when they are not millionairesses--usually marry whom they choose. I do not believe that the two beautiful Miss Gunnings rolled into one would have made anything as undeniable as she is. One has seen portraits of them. Look at her as she stands there talking to Tommy and Lord Dunholm!” Internally Mount Dunstan was saying: “I am looking at her, thank you,” and setting his teeth a little. But Lady Mary was launched upon a subject which swept her along with it, and she--so to speak--ground the thing in. “Look at the turn of her head! Look at her mouth and chin, and her eyes with the lashes sweeping over them when she looks down! You must have noticed the effect when she lifts them suddenly to look at you. It's so odd and lovely that it--it almost----” “Almost makes you jump,” ended Mount Dunstan drily. She did not laugh and, in fact, her expression became rather sympathetically serious. “Ah,” she said, “I believe you feel a sort of rebellion against the unfairness of the way things are dealt out. It does seem unfair, of course. It would be perfectly disgraceful--if she were different. I had moments of almost hating her until one day not long ago she did something so bewitchingly kind and understanding of other people's feelings that I gave up. It was clever, too,” with a laugh, “clever and daring. If she were a young man she would make a dashing soldier.” She did not give him the details of the story, but went on to say in effect what she had said to Betty herself of the inevitable incidentalness of her stay in the country. If she had not evidently come to Stornham this year with a purpose, she would have spent the season in London and done the usual thing. Americans were generally presented promptly, if they had any position--sometimes when they had not. Lady Alanby had heard that the fact that she was with her sister had awakened curiosity and people were talking about her.