visiting between our girls and the servants here, or they soon will
suspect.'

Ethelberta then laid down a few laws on the subject, and, explaining the
other details of her visit, told her father soon that she must leave him.

He took her along the passage and into the area. They were standing at
the bottom of the steps, saying a few parting words about Picotee's visit
to see the dinner, when a female figure appeared by the railing above,
slipped in at the gate, and flew down the steps past the father and
daughter. At the moment of passing she whispered breathlessly to him,
'Is that you, Mr. Chickerel?'

'Yes,' said the butler.

She tossed into his arms a quantity of wearing apparel, and adding,
'Please take them upstairs for me--I am late,' rushed into the house.

'Good heavens, what does that mean?' said Ethelberta, holding her
father's arm in her uneasiness.

'That's the new lady's-maid, just come in from an evening walk--that
young scamp's sweetheart, if what you tell me is true. I don't yet know
what her character is, but she runs neck and neck with time closer than
any woman I ever met. She stays out at night like this till the last
moment, and often throws off her dashing courting-clothes in this way, as
she runs down the steps, to save a journey to the top of the house to her
room before going to Mrs. Doncastle's, who is in fact at this minute
waiting for her. Only look here.' Chickerel gathered up a hat decked
with feathers and flowers, a parasol, and a light muslin train-skirt, out