She had changed; she looked older; she was quieter. It was strange, but as I grew more flamboyant she seemed to grow more colorless. She wore her lovely yellow hair in smooth braids about her head; mine was coiled high and elaborately so as not to lose one bit of its beauty. She wore quiet grays and blacks—which were becoming to her fair skin—but so quiet I wore black rarely; it did not suit me and when I did, I would always have with it a touch of flaming color—scarlet or my favorite jade green. I had evening dresses of scarlet chiffon and jade silk; sometimes I wore lavender and a combination of dark blue dominated by pink.

I was the lady of the Abbas now; there was no one to stand in my way and in the two years since Justin had gone away I had stabilized my position. The disaffection of Justin had helped me considerably. I almost believed that Haggety and Mrs. Rolt forgot for long periods at a time that I was not born and bred to the role which I played so perfectly.

Lady St. Larnston had died the previous year, quietly in her sleep, so there had been another funeral at the Abbas. But how different this one from that of Judith! Calmly and conventionally as she had lived her life, so the old lady passed out of it.

And since her going, my position had become even more secure.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said, with the proper touch of authority, not arrogant, not condescending, merely giving an order naturally. Mrs. Rolt and Mrs. Salt entered.

"Oh Ma am, it's about the dinner tonight," said Mrs. Salt.

"I have been thinking of it" I looked up at them, conscious of myself— white hands on the table, the pen held lightly; my wedding ring and the square-cut emerald above—the one which was a St. Larnston ring and which Lady St. Larnston had given me after Justin had gone away. My feet in black leather slippers showing beneath the skirt of my mauve morning gown which was trimmed with satin ribbons; my hair in a chignon on the top of my head—simply and elegantly clad in the morning attire of a great lady.

"A clear soup to begin with, Mrs. Salt. Then I think sole with a sauce which I shall leave to you. Partridge ... or chicken , . . and the roast beef. We must keep it simple because I gather from Mrs. Fedder that Mr. Fedder's digestion is giving him a little trouble."

"It's not to be wondered at, Ma'am!' said Mrs. Rolt. "It's all this talk about the mine. Not that I suppose they'm got much to worry about—them Fedders. Reckon they've been feathering their nests all this time. But have you heard, Ma'am, if it be true the mine be closing down?"

"I have heard nothing," I said coolly and turned to Mrs. Salt. "A souffle, I think, and let us have apple pie with cream."

"Very good, Ma'am," said Mrs. Salt.

Mrs. Rolt put in: "And Haggety were wondering about the wines. Ma'am."

"He should see Mr. St. Larnston about the wines," I replied.

"Well, Ma'am ..." began Mrs. Rolt.

I inclined my head. This was one of those mornings when they were becoming too talkative. On most occasions I could subdue them completely.

I haughtily inclined my head and picked up my pen. They exchanged glances and murmuring: "Thank you, Ma'am!" went out; I heard their voices, low, whispering as the door closed.

I frowned. It was as though their prying fingers had opened a cupboard door which I preferred to keep shut. What was it Johnny had once said about skeletons in cupboards? Justin's and Mellyora s? Well, I was ready to admit I had my skeletons too.

I tried to dismiss the memory of those two mischievous old faces, as I picked up my pen and started going through the last month's account which Haggety had put on my desk a few days before in accordance with my orders.

Another knock.

"Come in."

This time it was Haggety himself.

A curse on memories! I thought of his foot touching mine under the table. That little light in his eyes which meant: We must understand each other. I pay lip service to Mrs. Rolt but you're the one I really fancy.

I hated him when I remembered; and I must force myself to regard him as the butler merely, quite efficient if one shut one's eyes to his shortcomings—too much freedom with the women servants, a little bribery to suppliers, a little adjustment of accounts so that they came out in his favor. The sort of failings one might have with any butler.

"Well, Haggety?" I went on writing just because I had remembered.

He coughed. "Er, Ma'am ... er ..."

Now I must look up. There was no disrespect in his face, only embarrassment. I waited patiently.

"It's about the wine. Ma'am."

"For tonight, yes. You must see Mr. St. Larnston about it."

"Er ... Ma'am. It's that we'll just about have enough for tonight Ma'am and then ..."

I looked at him in astonishment "Why haven't you seen that the cellar is we]! stocked?"

"Ma'am. The merchant, Ma'am ... he Vi^ants a settlement."

I felt a faint color in my cheeks. "This is extraordinary," I said.

"No, Ma'am. There's a large amount outstanding ... and ..."

"You had better let me see the account, Haggety."

A smile of relief touched his face. "Well, Ma'am, I've what you might say anticipated that. Tis here. If Ma'am, you'll settle it, there'll be no trouble, I do assure you."

I did not look at the statement he handed me.

I said; "Such treatment is most disrespectful. Perhaps we should change our wine merchant"

Haggety fumbled and brought out another bill. "Well, Ma'am in a manner of speaking we have two , . . and things is the same with the both."

It had always been a tradition at the Abbas that wine bills were the affair of the man of the house. Although I dealt with other expenditure, since the departure of Justin, the cellar had been a matter between Haggety and Johnny.

"I will see that this has Mr. St Larnston's immediate attention," I said, and I added: "I do not think he will be pleased with these merchants. It may be necessary to find others. But the cellars, of course, should not be allowed to be depleted. You should have brought this matter to light before this."

Haggety's face puckered as though he were about to cry.

"Ma'am, I have told Mr. Johnny ... Mr. St. Larnston ... nigh on a dozen times."

"Very well, Haggety, I understand. It has slipped his memory. I see that you are not to blame."

Haggety went out and immediately I looked down at the wine merchants' accounts. To my horror I saw that between the two we owed some five hundred pounds.

Five hundred pounds! No wonder they refused to supply us with more until we paid. How could Johnny have been so careless.

A sudden fear had come to me. What was Johnny doing with the money which was coming in from the estate? I had my allowance with which I settled household accounts and bought what I needed. Why did Johnny go so often to Plymouth—far more often than Sir Justin had gone? Why were there continual complaints about the estate?

It was time I had a talk with Johnny.

That was an uneasy day.

I carefully put away the wine bills but I couldn't forget them. Those figures kept dancing before my eyes and I thought of my life with Johnny.

What did we know of each other? He still admired me; I still attracted him, not with the same passionate fire as in the beginning, not with that abandonment which had made him risk his family's displeasure to make me his wife; but there was physical passion there. He still found me different from other women. He told me so again and again. What other women? I asked once, wondering what other women there were in Johnny's life. "All other women in the world," he answered. And I didn't care enough to pursue that point I always felt I must repay Johnny for my position, the fulfillment of a dream, all that he had given to me. And most of all he had given me Carlyon, my blessed son, who, thanks to Johnny was a St. Larnston and could one day be Sir Carlyon. For this I must be grateful. I remembered this always and tried to repay him be being the sort of wife he needed. I believed I was. I shared his bed; I ran his house; I was a credit to him when people could forget my origins which were like a shadow, visible on some days when the bright sun discovered it, but often out of sight and out of mind. I never asked questions about his life. I suspected that there might be other women. The St. Larnstons—with the exception of Justin—were like that; his father had been, and there was his Grandfather who had played his part in Granny's story.

Johnny could lead his own private life, but the management of the estate was something he could not keep to himself. If there were debts I must know.

I suddenly realized how lax I had been. The St. Larnston estate was important because one day it was going to be Carlyon's.

What had I heard about the days of uneasiness, years ago when the Abbas and all its lands had almost passed into other hands. Then tin had been discovered in the meadow near the Six Virgins and that tin had saved the family fortunes. I remembered how, at Joe's wedding, there had been talk of our mine. Perhaps I could speak to Johnny. I must discover whether the wine bills had been left unpaid through carelessness or for other more alarming reasons.

Those figures continued to dance before my eyes, jerking me out of my complacence. I had been too content with my life. For the last year it had run too smoothly. I even believed that Mellyora had become resigned and was not yearning so much for Justin; once or twice I had heard her laugh as she used to when we were both together at the parsonage.