one of the doors of the room, which was open, and
on her turning, as he spoke, she saw that they were
in the presence of three other persons, also, as ap
peared, interested inquirers. Kate Croy was one of
these; Lord Mark had just become aware of her,
and she, all arrested, had immediately seen, and made
the best of it, that she was far from being first in
the field. She had brought a lady and a gentleman
to whom she wished to show what Lord Mark was
showing Milly, and he took her straightway as a re
inforcement. Kate herself had spoken, however,
before he had had time to tell her so.

"You had noticed too? " she smiled at him with
out looking at Milly. " Then I'm not original
which one always hopes one has been. But the like
ness is so great." And now she looked at Milly
for whom again it was, all round indeed, kind, kind
eyes. " Yes, there you are, my dear, if you want to
know. And you re superb." She took now but a
glance at the picture, though it was enough to make
her question to her friends not too straight. " Isn't
she superb?"

"I brought Miss Theale," Lord Mark explained
to the latter, " quite off my own bat."

"I wanted Lady Aldershaw," Kate continued to
Milly, " to see for herself."

"Les grands esprits se rencontrent! " laughed her
attendant gentleman, a high, but slightly stooping,
shambling and wavering person, who represented
urbanity by the liberal aid of certain prominent front

[[244]]

p243 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p244w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p245

v?