Part 10 (1/2)
No man is a hero who is not a hero to his valet; and no woaret Severence's new one on a spree, had started a free fight in the streets, and had got hiht It was the first week of his imprisonment, and Selina had comaret to a ball with a long tear in her skirt; she let her go out, open in the back, both in blouse and in placket; she upset a cup of hot CAFe AU LAIT on her ar it on Margaret's foot Though no one has been able to fathom it, there must be a reason for the perversity whereby our outbursts of anger against any seriously-offending fellow-being always break on some trivial offense, never on one of the real and deep causes of wrath Margaret, though ignorant of her rief and shame, had borne patiently the sins of oued above; this, though the le one of thearet lost her te off of the shoe-strap, and poured out upon Selina not only all her resent up since the beginning of the season against life and destiny Selina sat on the floor stupefied; Margaret, a very incarnation of fury, raged up and down the rooested ”And,” she wound up, ”I want you to clear out at once I'll send you your ive you a character--except for honesty I'll admit, you are too stupid to steal Clear out, and never let ain”
She swept from the room, drove away to lunch at Mrs Baker's She actedherself, for the luncheon was very good indeed, Mrs Baker's chef being new frorown careless, and the co At the third course she rose
”I've forgotten soo at once No, no one ht hoone before Mrs Baker could rise froaret went up to her own rooe and quite as comfortable as her own and hardly plainer She knocked As there was no answer, she opened the door On the bed, sobbing heart-brokenly, lay Selina, crushed by the hideous injustice of being conde off a bit of leather which the shoearet
The , hoasped in astonisharet, not as superior to inferior, nor yet with the much-vaunted ”just as if they were equals,”
but si to another Theludicrously down across her cheek
”I insulted you, and I'ive ly, ”I'” And she threw herself down once aret knelt beside the bed, put her hand appealingly on the girl's shoulder ”Can you forgive me, Selina?” said she ”There's no excuse forsee to pieces under”I told a story when I came to you and said I'd had three years' experience,” enerosity ”It was only three months as lady's maid, and not much of a lady, neither”
”I don't in the least care,” Margaret assured her ”I'm not strictly truthful s”
”But that's natural in a lady,” objected Selina, ”where there ain't no excuse for aret was careful not to let Selina see her smile in appreciation of this unconsciously profound observation upon life and oodquickly”
”No, no,” wailed Selina ”I'ular block-head, and ood heart and I like you,” said Margaret ”And I want you to forgive me and like me I'm so lonely and unhappy And I need the love of one so close to me all the tian to cry again, and then Margaret gave way to tears; and, presently, out ca; and Margaret, of course, promised to see that he was released at once
When she went to her own roo evidence of their huaret had recovered her self-esteem and had won a friend, who, if too stupid to be very useful, was also too stupid to be unfaithful
As it was on the same day, and scarcely one brief hour later, it aret who paced the alley of trimmed elms, her eyes so stern and somber, her mouth and chin so hard that her worshi+pful sister Lucia watched in silent, fascinated dread At length Margaret noted Lucia, halted and: ”Why don't you read your book?” she cried fiercely ”Why do you sit staring at ot--what a NASTY te
”Haven't I, though!” exclai!”
”I could see you were thinking so--TERRIBLE!”
explained Lucia
Margaret's face cleared before a satirical sh: ”I' way to teence or of defective digestion”
”Is it about--about Mr Craig?”
Margaret reddened, dropped to the bench near her sister--evidence that she illing to talk, to confide--so far as she ever confided her inmost self--to the one person she could trust