Mrs. Fairfax is not pretty; she has reddish gold hair, with brown roots, and a very dark skin, but it is nicely done--the hair, I mean, and perhaps the skin too, as sideways you can see the pink sticking up on it. It must be rather a nuisance to have to do all that, but it is certainly better than looking like Mary Mackintosh. She doesn’t balance nicely, bits of her are too long, or too short. I do like to see everything in the right place--like Lord Robert’s figure. Lady Ver came in just then, and we all went down to dinner. Mrs. Fairfax gushed at her a good deal. Lady Ver does not like her much, she told me in the train, but she was obliged to wire to her to come, as she could not get any one else Mr. Campion liked, on so short a notice. “The kind of woman every one knows, and who has no sort of pride,” she said. Well, even when I am really an adventuress I sha’n’t be like that. Dinner was very gay. Lady Ver, away from her decorous relations, is most amusing. She says anything that comes into her head. Mrs. Fairfax got cross because Mr. Campion would speak to me, but as I did not particularly take to her, I did not mind, and just amused myself. As the party was so small Lord Robert and I were obliged to talk a little, and once or twice I forgot, and let myself be natural and smile at him. His eyebrows went up in that questioning pathetic way he has, and he looked so attractive--that made me remember again, and instantly turn away. When we were coming into the hall, while Lady Ver and Mrs. Fairfax were up putting on their cloaks, Lord Robert came up close to me, and whispered: “I _can’t_ understand you. There is some reason for your treating me like this, and I will find it out! Why are you so cruel, little wicked tiger cat!” and he pinched one of my fingers until I could have cried out. That made me so angry. “How dare you touch me!” I said. “It is because you know I have no one to take care of me that you presume like this!” I felt my eyes blaze at him, but there was a lump in my throat, I would not have been hurt, if it had been anyone else--only angry--but he had been so respectful and gentle with me at Branches--and I had liked him so much. It seemed more cruel for him to be impertinent now. His face fell, indeed, all the fierceness went out of it, and he looked intensely miserable. “Oh! don’t say that!” he said, in a choked voice. “I--oh! that is the one thing, you know is not true.” Mr. Campion, with his fur coat fastened, came up at that moment, saying gallant things, and insinuations that we must meet again, but I said good-night quietly, and came up the stairs without a word more to Lord Robert. “Good-night, Evangeline, pet,” Lady Ver said, when I met her on the drawing-room landing, coming down. “I do feel a wretch leaving you, but to-morrow I will really try and amuse you. You look very pale, child--the journey has tried you probably.”