PART I.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5, 1 February 1900, Page 23

PART I.

' Have you noticed anything particular about the lady-belp, James ?' General Lomer lowered the Times and gazed blankly at the Bpeaker. ' Well, my dear," he replied, with that caution which forty years' experience of matrimony had taught him to be decidedly the better part of valour, • she struck me as rather — cr — rather prepossessing in appearance, if that is what you mean ?' ' Prepossessing V echoed Mrs. Lomer sharply. ' She is a remarkably handsome young woman, and I should have thought that even you would have been sufficiently observant to notice the fact.' The general retired behind his newspaper, a distinct twinkle in his benevolent blue eyes. 1 Well,' he observed from the other side of that friendly screen, ' and what then ? Does that disqualify her for service in your opinion ?' ' It would in the ryes of some people,' returned his wife in a meditative tone. ' Perhaps here it will not matter so much, so long' — meaningly — ' as you remember her position and do not pay her the extravagant compliments which you appear to think necessary in the case of every pretty girl you meet, but ' 'I, my dear !' ejaculated General Lomer in a tone of outraged virtue. ' Yes, you ! But the worst of it is,' she continued calmly, totally ignoring the interruption, ' that this Mibs Chester is by way of being a lady. Her father was a clergyman with a large family and a small income — the two usually go together somehow — and she may be inclined to give herself airs." ' Oh, let us trust not,' said the general, casting a furtive glance at his neglected paper. ' And you would have a lady-help you know, my dear,' he added in a somewhat apologetic manner. ' I had to make some change ; our last parlour-maid was enough to try the patience of a — of an aichangel, and Mrs. Fanshane appeared to have found such a treasure. To be sure, she was only a farmer's daughter, with a snub nose and freckles, but ' ' A telegram has just come,' said a pleasantly modulated voice, and the lady-help, in a nice-fitting black gown and the daintiest thing in caps, made her appearance at the door. Mrs. Lomer took the missive with a murmured word of thanks, while her husband discreetly effaced himself behind the advertisement sheet of the Tinus. ' Good heaven*. Jamc j ! what am T to do .'' ' Whit the — what m the world is the matter ?' exclaimed the thoroughly a' armed {rpueral. a? thib pathetic appeal issuid fro v n his wife's* li{)H. 'Is anything wrong with Frank /' 1 !le i^ coming home t -morro v,' was the reply, in a tone which would hu\e be^tt' d a Lady M .cbeth after the murder of her guest. Her listener s tired at her in blank bewilderment. 'Frank coining t< -moirow I \\ tiy ble^s my tou\ what has upset you .' Dun r jou want hull t■> (w\ie. <'h .'' Mrs. L^nur roe fro. a her chair «\ , in an air in whiv.li lesignation and dign ty v. tie- bei'-itituHy blend>d, and inov.d slowly toward-, the door. ' You do not appear to gra-p the situation, Jame«,' she said. ' I am thinking of "he lady-help.' Ami then slie swept our of the room, leaving its occupant piling after her relieving figure with an utterly btup fied expression. Meanwhile the object of these varie'l emotions was ups+airs in her bedrooiji lo >kiriyr at herself m the gla.ss. It was a ehaimmif picture whiJi mi" -a v refl<cte'l, but n-unehow the bi^ht failed ti. \e hrr eu in' s v •-■,'", icnou • Whit :• tan •_!>.: it ail 1-.' sh j ni'irrmirel to herself as she carefully anvigeil ♦ ).>* lilt It* guliien l.»cw\;i eifl.s on her lorehtad. 1 And how will r ,<\l end ' IStin,; a l-.<ly-n« 1p is not nil yak?* and ale, e.->petiai!y whfi — <i'ut h"ie sh- 1 li.iva t.mt sigh and turned a»\ay lrom the mirror. Kuth (_\'.e->i< r. as her einpl'.yr had dcf>>iibod ii"r, win tii* daughter of a o!ci irvn,:in with a tviiall income. She wv.s n ]-i .1 uceiK convw ito L'uXholit iy, v Inch latter fact, had conduce', to render the atm->phe'ie of tier futiier's lvy(overe.l U> i-tory rath- 1 wanner than wib agreeable 10 her feelings. Hence lu-r promt pos-itioii as Mrs Liuwt's lady-belp. She HA'i no ta-ie ror the maj inly of the other occupations open to her sex. Trie duties of a governed or a companion wete equally abhorrent to her ac ive nat'ire. but she was Rifted with the art of arranging diuiur tables, and x rol iping flowers, and. on the whole, the situation ot ladj-help beeuied the one fur wLieb she possebaed the mo-.r, capacity. There were al-io oth t reason?. 'I nvist not stay mooning up here," she reflect eil, and at that moment Miv. Lniner'* bill rang in the usual peremptory manner. ' My son is ccmiinr t<,-.a Trow,' remarked that lady when Ruth answertd h>T s'Lumo:.^. • \\i;l jou we that his room is prepared for him .' It v ih" one at tne end of the passage looking out on the garden. An! tell .J.»ut- u> be veiy earelul that the sheets are well ; ireil.' •Certainly,' repiud ii.ith. There wa-* an amuse i gleun vi her Laze! eye?, but the re«t of her countenance wan expressive ot nothing more than the resptctful decor-mi of the w<.ll-trauiwi domestic. Her mi-.tre-5H und the nituation generally appealed to her sense of humour, but she ' knew lie-r place,' and hail acquired the art of concealing the fact.

' What time will he arrive ?' she asked. 'Ho will be here to dinner,' replied Mrs. Lomer. ' And please arrange the table prettily, and I should be glad if you would teach cook that French entree you mentioned the other day. My son is rather particular about his dinners.' ' It certainly is a comfort to have someone with an artistic eye for colour, and a knowledge of cooking into the bargain,' reflected Mrs. Lomer, when the lady-help had undertaken everything requested of her and left the room. 'But — I am sorry Bhe is a lady, it makes everything bo awkward There is something about her, too, which I cannot quite make out, and — I do wish she were not quite so good-looking. FraLik ia ->o oUoufcptibltj.'