"O yes, Aunt Hilda! Why not?"

"Not at all, child. I wouldn't dream
of it. If you are not feeling well, or
anything, we'll just stay at home the two of us.
And I'll send a little note to Dr. Talbot."

"Dear aunt, I am quite well. I do not
need any doctors."

"Then why in the world now wouldn't
ye go to Mrs. Lovegrove's? I don't like
to see you moping, a young creature like
you. You want rousing a bit. And if you
stick at home like an old woman, I shall be
quite unhappy."

After this, Maud could no longer resist.
She could not make her aunt understand
that the party at Mrs. Lovegrove's could
not by any possibility conduce to the raising
of her spirits. "But if I am not feeling
gay myself," thought Maud, "I will not be
so selfish as to cast a damp on poor Aunt
Hilda, when she is inclined to be cheerful.
It would be cruel to stand in the way of
any of her few enjoyments."

So the turned poplin was put on; and
Lady Tallis yielded with some reluctance
to the modest suggestion of Mrs. Lockwood,
who was invited to superintend her
ladyship's toilet, that a bow of tartan
ribbon at the throat, scarcely harmonised
with the pink ribbons in the cap.

"That soft rose-colour goes admirably
with the grey poplin, Lady Tallis," said
Zillah, quietly. "But, do you know, I am
afraid the tartan bow will be a little—a
little too conspicuous."

"Do you think so?" said my lady, taking
it off with much docility, but with evident
disappointment. "Well, to be sure, you
have excellent taste. But when I was a
girl I always used to be told that tartan
went with anything. I remember dancing
in a Caledonian quadrille at Delaney once,
the time poor James came of age, and we
had—myself and three other girls—white
silk dresses, trimmed with the Royal Stuart
tartan, and everybody said they looked
lovely."

It took some time to get Lady Tallis
dressed; for the ill fortune that attended
her outer attire pursued all her garments.
Buttons and strings dropped from her
clothing like ripe apples from the tree.
She would have riddled her clothes with
pins, had not Mrs. Lockwood, neat and
dexterous, stood by with a needle and
thread ready to repair any damage.

"I think a few stitches are better than
pins," observed Zillah. "Don't you, my
lady?"

"O indeed I do! much better. But my
dear soul I am shocked to give ye this
trouble. When I think that I had, and
ought to have at this moment, attendants
of my own to wait on me properly, and
that I am now obliged to trespass on the
kindness of my friends, I assure you I am
ready to shed tears. But I won't give way,
and spoil my dear Maud's pleasure. Don't
ye think I am right in making her go out
and enjoy herself?"

Despite the truth of Maud's assertions
that she was ill at ease in spirit, and
disinclined to go into the society of strangers,
her curiosity and attention were aroused
by the novelty of all she saw and heard at
Mrs. Lovegrove's.

This was not like a Shipley tea-drinking
with old Mrs. Plew, or a dinner-party at
Mrs. Sheardown's or Lady Alicia Renwick's.

She desired and wished to sit still and
unnoticed in a corner, and watch the
company. But to her dismay, she found it to
be Mrs. Lovegrove's intention to draw her
into notice.

That lady, clad in a stiff metallic grey
silk gown, drew Maud's arm through her
own and walked with her, about the
drawing-room, into the small room behind it,
and even into the third room, a tiny closet
above Mr. Frost's private office, where
three old gentlemen and one old lady were
playing whist at a green table, and glared
at the intruders fiercely.

"I wish to make you known to the
Dobbses, dearest Miss Desmond," said Mrs.
Lovegrove. "Those are the Misses Dobbs,
in apple-green. I am so grieved that the
General and Lady Dobbs cannot be here
to-night. They are charming people. I
know you would be delighted with them!"

Maud felt inwardly thankful that the
charming Dobbses were not present. She
had no desire to form new acquaintances,
and after a time she complained of feeling
rather tired, and asked to be allowed to go
and sit beside her aunt.

But when she reached Lady Tallis, she
found Mr. Augustus Lovegrove, junior,
seated close to her ladyship, and talking to
her with much vivacity.

Mr. Augustus Lovegrove was very tall,
and was awkward in his gait; and carried
his head hanging backward, so that when
he wore a hat, the hinder part of the brim
rested on the collar of his coat; and
sometimes sang comic songs to his own
accompaniment on the pianoforte; and his friends
considered him little inferior to Mr. John
Parry. They allowed, indeed, that he had
not "quite Parry's touch on the piano.