to usher in anybody so grand. And was it
not natural I should be overwhelmed too?
considering that my lord marquis was our duke's
eldest son, and what I had just said about Viola;
and if ever there was a divine duck of a darling,
by way of a man, it was the young marquis.
He was not one of your outrageous fine,
grand, tall, overpowering Jupiter creatures; in
fact, he was short, but he had the most perfect
figure, and the most beautiful face, with the
gentlest expression that ever was given to man.
Every Sunday at church I always said to
myself when I looked at him, "Oh, what a lucky
woman is your mother!"

And I said it again to myself when he came
into the room. One would suppose I was a
duchess myself by the manner in which he
greeted me, and the bow he gave the countess
when I introduced her. It was just the sort of
manner and the kind of bow that a true gentleman,
a preux chevalier, would give a lady and a
gentlewoman. "I am a lady and a gentle-
woman," said I to myself, "and therefore, in
the eyes of the marquis, I am a person to whom
he is bound to pay homage." Not that any one
is to believe I was altogether as conceited as
that, only it was the manner of the young
marquis that told me what I was. And didn't I
settle in my own mind he should not hear a word,
or see a look from me but what was proper for
the perfect gentlewoman.

He had a very soft, low voice, rather too
low. However, I was a little flustered,
perhaps, thinking of my speech too, and Viola
looking so unutterably lovely. He was telling
Robert that he had come over by his father's
desire to see a new barn he had built.

"It is not built yet—my wife is just making
a section of the roof."

"It is more particularly a plan of hanging the
doors," I said.

Dear Robert! how pleased he looked!

Of course the young marquis stayed to
luncheon, and of course we all went out
together to look at the barn, the walls scarcely ten
feet high, and saw the place where the patent
doors were to be hung, and then I showed him
my garden; and, when he left, he said he should
take the liberty of coming again shortly, about
the time the doors were to be hung; and as he
went away, I saw the loveliest eyes in the
world gazing—gazing—lost in gazing down the
road after him.

"Robert" I whispered, late that night, be-
hind the bed-curtains, "don't tell me the patent
doors were the attraction. He has heard of her
—seen her—and he made a catspaw of your
barn to get an introduction."

"Patty, you be whipped!" cried Robert, in
a pet.

CHAPTER III.

BUT oh! wasn't I right?

My lord marquis returned in three days,
asking me, as I was so clever with my fingers, if
I would draw him a plan for a keeper's cottage.
"My father makes me see after all these things,"
said he, "to keep me out of mischief, he
says."

(The duke little guessed the mischief brewing,
for—only I thought of it too late—Viola
as not of our religion.) I could not settle in
my own mind whether I would make a pretext
and leave them alone for ten minutes. The
young countess was most particular in never
stirring from my side, and, if she did go into the
garden alone, she always asked my leave, and
never went for above a few minutes.

"She has been beautifully brought up,
Robert," said I; "very unlike that horrid French
girl whose elopement caused such a scandal."

Well, I did not know whether she would like
being left alone, and of course I was not the
Patty everybody thought me if I did not
perceive that my plan of a keeper's cottage, if the
very best that ever was planned, was never
likely to be built. Why, he could not control
his eyes. My heart really almost beat aloud with
excitement, I felt so for him, and I feared so for
her. I became quite scarlet with the way my
mind was conducting itself.

Fortunately I was called out of the room by
Caroline; she wanted to know if she should
put out on the luncheon-table our grandest
piece of plate, an épergue, in honour of the
marquis. In her flurry last time, she had never
thought of it; but, being more composed now,
she was able to think what would do him most
honour.

"Don't be a goose, Caroline," I said; "serve
luncheon as usual. Where is your master?" I
contrived to spend ten minutes in doing nothing,
and then made a détour round by the garden, so
that they could see me coming. They were
standing at the window, and when she saw me
coming she made a sign to him to ask me a
question. "The countess wishes to know," he
said, "if she has your per-mission to show me
that part of the garden that borders the river.
She says I did not see it the other day, and it
is the prettiest part."

"I did not show it, because it is not so
neatly kept," I answered. "Pray ask her, in
return, if she would like me to come with you?"

I have hitherto represented the marquis as a
paragon. I am sorry to say he did not repeat
my question to Viola. On the contrary,
he said, "Your English mother says she is most
happy to trust you in my charge."

However, I was obliged to pretend I
understood nothing of this. Also, I felt I must
forgive him; and further, I found myself
absolutely excusing him. "Patty, Patty !" I said
to myself, " a little more and I shall find you so
base a panderer as to be absolutely praising
him for the greatest piece of deceit possible."
They remained in the garden walking to and fro
until the bell rang for luncheon.

After lunch, we all walked up to the Hall.

As for Madam Pet, she provoked me. She
made a pretence of being the greatest innocent
that ever was born. Her own boy might have
seen how matters were going on—and here
was she—"Oh! so surprised—did I think so?