men thought of leaving the poor horses anything to eat, and water! I
must really go and see. Poor beasts! They will be starving. Will you
come with me?"

She moved towards the door, really very much concerned, for she loved
horses.

"Will you go down like that?" asked the Baroness aghast, glancing at
the purple velvet dressing-gown, and noticing, as the Princess moved,
that her feet, on which she wore small kid slippers, were
stockingless.

"Why not? I shall not catch cold. I never do."

The Baroness would have given anything to be above caring whether any
one should ever see her, or not, on the stairs of her house in a
purple dressing-gown, without stockings and with her hair standing on
end; and she pondered on the ways of the aristocracy she adored,
especially as represented by her Excellency Marie-Sophie-Hedwige-
Zenaide-Honorine-Pia Rubomirska, Dowager Princess Conti. Ever
afterwards she associated purple velvet and bare feet with the idea of
financial catastrophe, knowing in her heart that even ruin would seem
bearable if it could bring her such magnificent indifference to the
details of commonplace existence.

At that moment, however, she felt that she was in the position of a
heaven-sent protectress to the Princess.

"No," she said firmly. "I will go myself to the stables, and the
porter shall feed the horses if there is no groom. You really must not