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remarkable was already so strong that; while she bridled a little;

this held her auditor in a momentary muteness of submission。  〃Mr。

Drake has rendered his lordship for several years services that his

lordship has highly appreciated and that make it all the morea

unexpected that they should; perhaps a little suddenly; separate。〃



〃Separate?〃  Our young lady was mystified; but she tried to be

interested; and she already saw that she had put the saddle on the

wrong horse。  She had heard something of Mr。 Drake; who was a

member of his lordship's circlethe member with whom; apparently;

Mrs。 Jordan's avocations had most happened to throw her。  She was

only a little puzzled at the 〃separation。〃  〃Well; at any rate;〃

she smiled; 〃if they separate as friends!〃



〃Oh his lordship takes the greatest interest in Mr。 Drake's future。

He'll do anything for him; he has in fact just done a great deal。

There MUST; you know; be changes!〃



〃No one knows it better than I;〃 the girl said。  She wished to draw

her interlocutress out。  〃There will be changes enough for me。〃



〃You're leaving Cocker's?〃



The ornament of that establishment waited a moment to answer; and

then it was indirect。  〃Tell me what YOU'RE doing。〃



〃Well; what will you think of it?〃



〃Why that you've found the opening you were always so sure of。〃



Mrs。 Jordan; on this; appeared to muse with embarrassed intensity。

〃I was always sure; yesand yet I often wasn't!〃



〃Well; I hope you're sure now。  Sure; I mean; of Mr。 Drake。〃



〃Yes; my dear; I think I may say I AM。  I kept him going till I

was。〃



〃Then he's yours?〃



〃My very own。〃



〃How nice!  And awfully rich?〃 our young woman went on。



Mrs。 Jordan showed promptly enough that she loved for higher

things。  〃Awfully handsomesix foot two。  And he HAS put by。〃



〃Quite like Mr。 Mudge; then!〃 that gentleman's friend rather

desperately exclaimed。



〃Oh not quite!〃 Mr。 Drake's was ambiguous about it; but the name of

Mr。 Mudge had evidently given her some sort of stimulus。  〃He'll

have more opportunity now; at any rate。  He's going to Lady

Bradeen。〃



〃To Lady Bradeen?〃  This was bewilderment。  〃'Going'?〃



The girl had seen; from the way Mrs。 Jordan looked at her; that the

effect of the name had been to make her let something out。  〃Do you

know her?〃



She floundered; but she found her feet。  〃Well; you'll remember

I've often told you that if you've grand clients I have them too。〃



〃Yes;〃 said Mrs。 Jordan; 〃but the great difference is that you hate

yours; whereas I really love mine。  DO you know Lady Bradeen?〃 she

pursued。



〃Down to the ground!  She's always in and out。〃



Mrs。 Jordan's foolish eyes confessed; in fixing themselves on this

sketch; to a degree of wonder and even of envy。  But she bore up

and; with a certain gaiety; 〃Do you hate HER?〃 she demanded。



Her visitor's reply was prompt。  〃Dear no!not nearly so much as

some of them。  She's too outrageously beautiful。〃



Mrs。 Jordan continued to gaze。  〃Outrageously?〃



〃Well; yes; deliciously。〃  What was really delicious was Mrs。

Jordan's vagueness。  〃You don't know heryou've not seen her?〃 her

guest lightly continued。



〃No; but I've heard a great deal about her。〃



〃So have I!〃 our young lady exclaimed。



Jordan looked an instant as if she suspected her good faith; or at

least her seriousness。  〃You know some friend?〃



〃Of Lady Bradeen's?  Oh yesI know one。〃



〃Only one?〃



The girl laughed out。  〃Only onebut he's so intimate。〃



Mrs。 Jordan just hesitated。  〃He's a gentleman?〃



〃Yes; he's not a lady。〃



Her interlocutress appeared to muse。  〃She's immensely surrounded。〃



〃She WILL bewith Mr。 Drake!〃



Mrs。 Jordan's gaze became strangely fixed。  〃Is she VERY good…

looking?〃



〃The handsomest person I know。〃



Mrs。 Jordan continued to brood。  〃Well; I know some beauties。〃

Then with her odd jerkiness:  〃Do you think she looks GOOD?〃



〃Because that's not always the case with the good…looking?〃the

other took it up。  〃No; indeed; it isn't:  that's one thing

Cocker's has taught me。  Still; there are some people who have

everything。  Lady Bradeen; at any rate; has enough:  eyes and a

nose and a mouth; a complexion; a figure〃



〃A figure?〃 Mrs。 Jordan almost broke in。



〃A figure; a head of hair!〃  The girl made a little conscious

motion that seemed to let the hair all down; and her companion

watched the wonderful show。  〃But Mr。 Drake IS another?〃



〃Another?〃Mrs。 Jordan's thoughts had to come back from a

distance。



〃Of her ladyship's admirers。  He's 'going;' you say; to her?〃



At this Mrs。 Jordan really faltered。  〃She has engaged him。〃



〃Engaged him?〃our young woman was quite at sea。



〃In the same capacity as Lord Rye。〃



〃And was Lord Rye engaged?〃







CHAPTER XXVI







Mrs。 Jordan looked away from her nowlooked; she thought; rather

injured and; as if trifled with; even a little angry。  The mention

of Lady Bradeen had frustrated for a while the convergence of our

heroine's thoughts; but with this impression of her old friend's

combined impatience and diffidence they began again to whirl round

her; and continued it till one of them appeared to dart at her; out

of the dance; as if with a sharp peck。  It came to her with a

lively shock; with a positive sting; that Mr。 Drake wascould it

be possible?  With the idea she found herself afresh on the edge of

laughter; of a sudden and strange perversity of mirth。  Mr。 Drake

loomed; in a swift image; before her; such a figure as she had seen

in open doorways of houses in Cocker's quartermajestic; middle…

aged; erect; flanked on either side by a footman and taking the

name of a visitor。  Mr。 Drake then verily WAS a person who opened

the door!  Before she had time; however; to recover from the effect

of her evocation; she was offered a vision which quite engulfed it。

It was communicated to her somehow that the face with which she had

seen it rise prompted Mrs。 Jordan to dash; a bit wildly; at

something; at anything; that might attenuate criticism。  〃Lady

Bradeen's re…arrangingshe's going to be married。〃



〃Married?〃  The girl echoed it ever so softly; but there it was at

last。



〃Didn't you know it?〃



She summoned all her sturdiness。  〃No; she hasn't told me。〃



〃And her friendshaven't they?〃



〃I haven't seen any of them lately。  I'm not so fortunate as you。〃



Mrs。 Jordan gathered herself。  〃Then you haven't even heard of Lord

Bradeen's death?〃



Her comrade; unable for a moment to speak; gave a slow headshake。

〃You know it from Mr。 Drake?〃  It was better surely not to learn

things at all than to learn them by the butler。



〃She tells him everything。〃



〃And he tells YOUI see。〃  Our young lady got up; recovering her

muff and her gloves she smiled。  〃Well; I haven't unfortunately any

Mr。 Drake。  I congratulate you with all my heart。  Even without

your sort of assistance; however; there's a trifle here and there

that I do pick up。  I gather that if she's to marry any one it must

quite necessarily be my friend。〃



Mrs。 Jordan was now also on her feet。  〃Is Captain Everard your

friend?〃



The girl considered; drawing on a glove。  〃I saw; at one time; an

immense deal of him。〃



Mrs。 Jordan looked hard at the glove; but she hadn't after all

waited for that to be sorry it wasn't cleaner。  〃What time was

that?〃



〃It must have been the time you were seeing so much of Mr。 Drake。〃

She had now fairly taken it in:  the distinguished person Mrs。

Jordan was to marry would answer bells and put on coals and

superintend; at least; the cleaning of boots for the other

distinguished person whom she mightwell; whom she might have had;

if she had wished; so much more to say to。  〃Good…bye;〃 she added;

〃good…bye。〃



Mrs。 Jordan; however; again taking her muff from her; turned it

over; brushed it off and thoughtfully peeped into it。  〃Tell me

this before you go。  You spoke just now of your own changes。  Do

you mean that Mr。 Mudge?〃



〃Mr。 Mudge has had great patience with mehe has brought me at

last to the point。  We're to be married next month and have a nice

little home。  But he's only a grocer; you know〃the girl met her

friend's intent eyes〃so that I'm afraid that; with the set you've

got into; you won't see your way to keep up our friendship。〃



Mrs。 Jordan for a moment made no answer to this; she only held the

muff up to her face; after which she gave it back。  〃You don't like

it。  I see; I see。〃



To her guest's astonishment there were tears now in her eyes。  〃I

don't like what?〃 the girl asked。



〃Why my engagement。  Only; with your great cleverness;〃 the poor

lady quavered out; 〃you put it in your own way。  I mean that you'll

cool off。  You already have!〃  And on this; the next instant; her

tears began to flow。  She succumbed to them an

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