The Womans Way

Celia coloured with embarrassment; it seemed to her that this beautiful

young woman was without reserve, and that her remark had been in very

bad taste; but Celia was always ready to make allowances and look on the

best side of people, so she said, gently: "I dare say you will grow to like him. He is sure to like you."

"Think so?" said Miriam. "Well, I hope he will; he ought to like his

daughter-in-law; and I mean to make him, if I can. I want to keep the

peace between him and Percy; they haven't been the best of friends, as I

dare say you've heard. Did you cut that dress from a paper pattern, or

how?"

"You've guessed correctly," said Celia, laughing. "It was cut from a

paper pattern, given away with a popular magazine."

"Well, it fits awfully well. And there's a style about it; it's quite

chic. Oh, you really must give a hint or two to that idiot of a Marie.

What society is there here? I thought, as we drove from the station,

that the place looked awfully dull and quiet. By the way," she went on,

without waiting for her question to be answered, "didn't I see you

standing at one of the cottages as we drove past?"

"Yes," said Celia. "I had been calling on a friend."

"A friend," repeated Lady Heyton, raising her brows, languidly. "Do you

mean the woman with the baby? I thought she looked quite a common,

ordinary sort of person."

"I should scarcely call Susie common," said Celia, with a smile. "I like

her very much."

"Do you? How quaint! This fire is very jolly. Do you always have one

here?" asked her ladyship, as if her volatile mind had forgotten the

last subject of the conversation.

Celia told her that the fire was lit every evening, and Lady Heyton,

rising with a yawn, remarked that she should often drop in for a warm;

the rest of the house seemed to her chilly. Celia gave the required

invitation, and Lady Heyton stood looking about her vacantly, and as if

she were waiting for the volition to go.

"I say; do tell me your name?" she said, languidly.

Celia told her.

"Awfully pretty name. Mine's Miriam; ridiculously unsuitable, don't you

think? So hard and cold; and I'm anything but that. Pity one can't

choose one's own name! Do you mind if I call you 'Celia'? 'Miss Grant'

is so stiff."