me remember the past which can never be anything but a memory to me i could not show my programme to when you have stolen her heart from her and seem as if you care no more about breaking it than you did about breaking mine oh dick dick how could you do it the girl passed another sleepless night and not was told in the morning by her mother and sisters that she really was not fit for and would have to go to bed at eight o clock if she persisted in looking like this after a single dance i begged you not to let me go mother she with a great effort at cheerfulness i was no good there � i didn t know what to say to the men and a good half of them didn t know what to say those to me they all thought i was the most stupid little they had ever been condemned to dance with because of her sisters popularity in their lives i thought you got on remarkably well said i saw you once or twice with lord did you said i didn t know it my dear don t you like him any better mrs asked no mother she said enough not any better than i did and then she blushed to think how utterly she had grown ah that s a pity dear he danced with you several times didn t he oh yes said he was very kind to me but he dances beautifully said oh yes dear he dances very well admitted girls during the course of the morning she said to her mother mother dear i want to tell you something yes darling what is it she was always poor woman anxious to have any sign of affection or confidence from this particular daughter lord told me last night mother that he goes back to in three days time and he is coming this afternoon to say good bye � and he did say something about his fate or something of that kind i don t fancy he has said anything to so i thought perhaps you had better know my dear how good how very thoughtful and considerate of you � what shall we do is difficult � so afraid of seeming to men on or anything of that kind i know is going somewhere with captain and do you darling go into and match me those that we wanted the other day you can do any other little that you want and so keep out of the road and i will those girls manage to leave to receive lord alone mrs did manage it she managed it exceedingly neatly for as soon as and captain were gone she said to in quite an off hand tone oh dear i want you to go into for me to day if you don t want to walk dear take in the trap i must have those and i want a little marking ink from s and you might just as well look in at s and see if they ve got that bonnet of mine done i am really in need of it and then if there is you want in the town you can get it at the same time i had rather walk mother said taking her cue as she was intended to do as soon as had left the house mrs turned round to dear i do not feel very well i sent the child off because i should not like her to see me if i had one of my attacks this afternoon do stay with me dear those girls why of course mother dear will you come and lie down i think i d better do so dear it s only a little but i feel so nervous if i m left alone yes i will go np stairs i shall be better to be quiet lying down thus she up into her bedroom laid down on the sofa and went through the whole process of smelling and water and even a tiny dose of and presently that is to say about an hour afterwards came upstairs and said that lord was in the drawing room oh dear dear dear cried mrs i really cannot go down no of course not send down a message and say you re not well enough to receive him oh but my dear he has come to say bye said mrs anxiously i feel much better and i shall come down to tea in any case go down and talk to him a little dear child you know he s going back to the day aft r to morrow those girls you are sure that you ll be all right dear yes yes i ll ring my bell for if i feel the least faint or anything promised mi s mc knowing perfectly well that she was no more likely to feel faint than she was to feel that particular afternoon so after a glance at herself in the glass went down to entertain lord and as mrs fondly hoped to decide his fate but lord seemed in no hurry to get the process over he expressed deep regret that mrs was not feeling very well asked after the other members of the family received with a smile the information that miss had gone out with his brother and then with some asked whether miss was out also yes said has gone into � well really i cannot tell you where she has gone somewhere for my mother but i cannot tell you where oh really he spoke in a tone of the most perfect indifference not as if it was a matter of any those girls consequence whether miss was out at the house or in and so they sat for some three quarters of an hour talking on subjects most absolutely 