"I am going to call upon Lady M--, if she sends her carriage for me," replied I. "She told me that she would, if she could, at two o'clock. She has proposed my paying her a visit; I presume it will be after she leaves town." "But that you will not be able to do, Valerie; you forget our trip to France." "I did not think that you were serious," replied I; "you mentioned it as the resolution of a night, and I did not know that you might not think differently upon further consideration." "Oh no, my resolutions are hastily formed, but not often given up. Go to Paris we certainly shall." "If you are determined upon going, Lady R--, I am afraid that I cannot accompany you." "Indeed!" exclaimed her ladyship, in surprise. "May I ask why not?" "Simply because I might meet those I am most anxious to avoid; there is a portion of my history that you are not acquainted with, Lady R--, which I will now make known to you." I then told her as much as I thought necessary relative to my parents, and stated my determination not to run the risk of meeting them. Lady R--argued, persuaded, coaxed, and scolded, but it was all in vain; at last she became seriously angry, and left the room. Lionel soon afterwards made his appearance, and said to me, in his usual familiar way, "What's the matter, Miss Valerie? The governess is in a rage about something; she gave me a box on the ear." "I suppose you deserved it, Lionel," replied I. "Well, there may be differences of opinion about that," replied the boy. "She went on scolding me at such a rate that I was quite astonished, and all about nothing. She blew up cook--didn't she--blew her half up the chimney--and then she was at me again. At last I could bear it no longer, and I said, `Don't flare up, my lady.'" "`Don't my lady me,' cried she, `or I'll box your ears.'" "Well, then, as she is always angry if you call her my lady, I thought she was angry with me for the same reason, so I said, `Sempronia, keep your temper,'--and didn't I get a box on the ear." I could not help laughing at this recital of his cool impudence, the more so as he narrated it with such an air of injured innocence. "Indeed, Lionel," said I at last, "you well deserved the box on the ear. If you ever quit the service of Lady R--, you will find that you must behave with proper respect to those above you; if not, you will not remain an hour in any other house. Lady R--is very odd and very good-tempered, and permits more liberties than any other person would. I will, however, tell you why Lady R--is displeased. It is because she wishes me to go to France with her and I have refused." "Then you are going to leave us?" inquired Lionel, mournfully. "I suppose so," replied I. "Then I shall go, too," said the boy. "I'm tired of it." "But why should you go, Lionel? You may not find another situation half so comfortable."