Sophy of Kravonia

bury's Essex seat. His lordship is st

Brownlow's got a deuce

, and all of them! If the English people had any spirit, they'd have swe

up, enclosed it, and won an election by opening it

ries?" inquired Mr. Pikes, w

suppose," sniffed Lad

ipotence in that line,

. He was doing his best to reproduce the impression he had re

h it be, let us drive over and se

his last day of our visit? Yo

the young man, resolute in wisdom.

. "But how account for ourselves

u two old sillies," said Lady Margaret. "I wanted to pay a call on Elizabeth Brownlow anyho

this part of the countr

favorite road," smiled

th us, it's already ours,"

a Whig, twenty years behind date, Pindar a Tory, two hundred. It was all an affectation-assumed for the purpose, but with the very doubtful result of amusing Lady Meg. To Dunstanbury the two old waifs-for waifs of the sea of society they were,

have been a powerful strain of eccentricity and perversity derived from elsewhere. All the Dunstanbury blood was Whig; Lady Meg counted the country ruined in 1688. Even Dunstanbury had been a man of sensibility; Lady Meg declared war on emotion-especially on the greatest of all emotions. The Dunstanbury attitude in thought had always been free, even tending to the materialistic; Lady Meg would believe in anything-so long as she couldn't see it. A queer woman, choosing to go to war with the

ul did not always consort with her less-mellow injunctions. In no vulgar directness, but with a sarcasm which Mrs. Smilker felt without understanding, Sophy would point out these inconsistencies. Angered and humiliated, fearful too, perhaps, that her subordinate would let the secret out, Mrs. Smilker made haste to have the first word with the powers; and against the word of the cook the word of the cook-maid weighed as naught. After smaller troubles of this origin there had come a sort of cr

oss of propriety. Both gentlemen were low of stature, plump of figure, hairy on the face; both followed obediently at the heels of commanding Lady Meg. The amenities of the luncheon-table opened hearts. Very soon the tale of Sophy's iniquities

Did she? The truth is, Lizzie, you've spoiled her

ked Pindar, with a sly intention. Wa

the kitchen,

. "Let Lady Meg see her," he urged, insinua

r; and I know your game

event would be a good riddance-a saying repeated, with the rest of the conversation, by the

her future. She's an o

This from

ing-looking, you'd rather

quite enough about her." Lady Meg so

o on for a moment-"such a funny mark! M

y on her. "Mark? What

ace, you know. A

y bit, pretty nearl

he

er ch

shed. "She seemed fair excited," Mr. Byles reports. Then she turned to the said Byles: "Fin

r her-" began the S

n way. I don't wan

red, and the last Mr. Byles heard a

always mean somet

dar agreed, but

e. She would go with Julia; she, too, would tread the boards-if only she could get her feet on them; and when did any girl seriously doubt her ability to

they?" cr

m. Julia had been over to see the big hous

There was time for no more. Lady Meg was upon them. Sophy was iden

o's been behaving s

arguing the merits,

the other and whisper something; it is morally cert

n way. What are you going

sorry. I'm

girl, let me

er eyes on her face. She was interested, not frig

away? W

e, please, Lady Margaret." Julia, it

are

there." She pointed to Woodbine

remarked Lady Meg

her expression of it faulty. "And I-I'm going to

at on the stage?" Lady Meg's fo

dy Margaret. Just a littl

uff!" sai

face. Then, without turning round, she made a rema

is Percival's

doubt," s

right about her,

rate I don't care twopence about that. But-" A long pause

, then forced out the

ouc

id Gr

ss Julia's pardon-I'm sure she'll do admirably at it. But a poor affair it is. There'

ulia saw Sophy's ey

and women-Lord help them! Come wi

I do if I co

ste time and money, like t

d Mr. Pindar, wi

be a-a serv

ve, I'm told, but you won't be

u have m

ly. "Yes, I'll have you taught, and I'll show you the Queen of England,

haves herself!" mu

ant you to understand it properly." She became silent for a moment. Julia was

you like, or as long as I like, as the case may be. If you want to go, put your visiting-card-yes, you'll have one-in an envelope and send it to me

all right,"

have that mark

s. Father t

will yo

oman spoke scornfully. Already there must have been some underground channel of understanding between them; for Sophy knew that Lady Meg was more than interested in her-that she was actually excited about her; and Lady Meg

Meg nodded; the girls linked arms and walk

ice. Pikes was looking round the vie

d. "I know what you said. You

ow than patroness and client. Few saw them thus, but Pin

plainly excited. "That mark must

" he aske

r her. It m

ay w

e of the unknown. They

they don't, the hundred-po

knows, Pindar? F

and smiled. "Not half as a

poke farewell. Lady Meg's eyes brightened. "She's coming with me," she said. Pi

, my lady,

w has the address. Good-bye." She turned abruptly

came t

And she's right. You must b

e drew back and stood erect. "It's all very dark," she said. "But I like it

rench!" Julia mocked-

"What did she mean by 'Percival's

"Lord Dunstanbury's? Ye

It made the sorrow of

e, no doubt. But Sophy, looking deeper, fingered the Red Star. She had tracked the magnet o