Mademoiselle expressed her increased pleasure at this news, and presently took her departure, walking back again all the way to Marshlands. But on the middle of the dusty highroad she took out her notebook, and carefully examined the little drawing she had made in it. She gave a low laugh of absolute contentment; and when she sat down to the supper table in the boarding-house, there was no person more cheerful or who looked more absolutely fresh than Mademoiselle. CHAPTER TWENTY. AN EXCHANGE. The two younger Amberleys were in a state of great agitation during supper. Had Brenda not been intensely preoccupied, she must have noticed this. Little Nina was too restless to eat with her usual appetite. She was silent too, watching Mademoiselle closely, but casting quick, furtive glances from time to time in Brenda's direction. Brenda had achieved her object, and Harry Jordan was going to take her to the play. She had succeeded in this by writing him a note proposing the arrangement, and also offering to pay for his ticket. Harry Jordan had accepted, thinking all the time how infinitely he would prefer going to the play with Nettie Harris, the girl who was just at present engaging his wayward fancy. Brenda meant to make the most of this opportunity with regard to Harry. Fanchon must, of course, be her companion. Her hopes rose high as the hour approached. "Girls," said Brenda, rising front the supper table, "go up immediately to your bedroom, it is very late." "Late?" cried Mrs Simpkins, "it is more than half an hour earlier than usual. We have all of us been, so to speak, unconversational to-night. We have eaten our supper without repining. It was not quite as tasty a supper as what you gave us, dear Mademoiselle, but we have eaten it silently. I will go and sit on my balcony presently, in order to get cool. Peter's eye-tooth is certain to come through this evening, and I mustn't be far from the blessed darling. Ah, my dear young ladies! what troubles we take on ourselves when we put our heads under the matrimonial yoke. But there, children are blessings--" "In disguise, perhaps," murmured Mademoiselle. Then Mrs Simpkins waddled off: Miss Price followed suit: one or two of the other ladies also left the room; and Brenda, driving her pupils before her as though they were a flock of sheep, left Mademoiselle and Mrs Dawson alone. "The supper," said Mademoiselle, "it was _triste_. The good food it cost--oh, much, much! but it was not delectable. You needed me, _chere Madame_, to make the viands of the lightness and delicacy that would tempt the jaded appetite." "But I can't have you always, Mademoiselle, so where's the use of trusting to you?" said Mrs Dawson, rather crossly. "Ah, I knew not!" sighed Mademoiselle. "The future, it may declare itself in the direction least expected--I know not, but I think much."