" She paused a
moment, for in asking a favour of so lofty a personage as Madame
DeBerczy, she was never certain whether she ought to prostrate herself
on the floor in oriental fashion, or merely bend the knee. In this
case she did neither. But her sweet pleading eyes spoke "libraries,"
so Helene told her afterwards. The imaginative objections already
forming in the mother's mind vanished away, and she was prevailed upon
to give her consent.
"Though it leaves me rather at the mercy of Sophia," she said, as she
went out to lunch.
Edward lifted an inquiring pair of eyes.
"Sophia is my new maid," explained his hostess. "Her ideas on the
subject of liberty and equality are extreme. Sometimes," she added
mournfully, "I am in doubt as to whether I have hired Sophia, or
Sophia has hired me."
The young people longed to exchange covert glances of amusement, but
this relief was denied them. It was no laughing matter to the stately
sufferer at the head of the table. Rose spoke in the decent accents of
sympathy and condolence, but her brother and friend were not profuse
of speech. The latter was thinking of possible explanations and
reconciliations that might arise through the frequent opportunities of
meeting with Edward, which a temporary residence under the same roof
would entail, and the former was feasting his beauty-loving eyes upon
a strikingly lovely picture on the other side of the table--the
picture of two heads, golden-yellow and raven-black, against the rich
background of a peacock-tinted tapestry screen.
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