Up to now--she told Lady Ver--of course I had been most carefully brought up and taken care of by Mrs. Carruthers, although she had not approved of her views. And having done her best for me at this juncture, saving me from staying alone with Mr. Carruthers, she felt it was all she was called upon to do. She thought my position would become too unconventional for their circle in future! Lady Ver told me all this with great glee. She was sure it would amuse me, it so amused her--but it made me a teeny bit remember the story of the boys and the frogs! Lady Ver now and then puts out a claw which scratches, while she ripples with laughter. Perhaps she does not mean it. This house is nice, and full of pretty things as far as I have seen. We arrived just in time to fly into our clothes for dinner. I am in a wee room four stories up, by the three angels. I was down first, and Lord Robert and Mr. Campion were in the drawing-room. Sir Charles Verningham is in Paris, by the way, so I have not seen him yet. Lord Robert was stroking the hair of the eldest angel, who had not gone to bed. The loveliest thing she is, and so polite, and different from Mary Mackintosh’s infants. He introduced Mr. Campion stiffly, and returned to Mildred--the angel. Suddenly mischief came into me, the reaction from the last dull days, so I looked straight at Mr. Campion from under my eyelashes, and it had the effect it always has on people, he became interested at once. I don’t know why this does something funny to them. I remember I first noticed it in the schoolroom at Branches. I was doing a horrible exercise upon the _Participe Passé_, and feeling very _égarée_, when one of the old Ambassadors came in to see Mademoiselle. I looked up quickly, with my head a little down, and he said to Mademoiselle, in a low voice, in German, that I had the strangest eyes he had ever seen, and that up look under the eyelashes was the affair of the devil! Now I knew even then the affair of the devil is something attractive, so I have never forgotten it, although I was only about fifteen at the time. I always determined I would try it when I grew up, and wanted to create emotions. Except Mr. Carruthers and Lord Robert I have never had much chance though. Mr. Campion sat down beside me on a sofa, and began to say at once that I ought to be going to the play with them; I spoke in my velvet voice, and said I was in too deep mourning, and he apologized so nicely, rather confused. He is quite a decent-looking person, smart and well-groomed, like Lord Robert, but not that lovely shape. We talked on for about ten minutes. I said very little, but he never took his eyes off my face. All the time I was conscious that Lord Robert was fidgeting and playing with a china cow that was on a table near, and just before the butler announced Mrs. Fairfax, he dropped it on the floor, and broke its tail off.