CHAPTER IV.

onehaddisputedherpowerorhergeneralsuperiority.AsonthearrivalatOffendene,soalways,thefirstthoughtofthoseaboutherhadbeen,whatwillGwendolenthink?—ifthefootmantrodheavilyincreakingboots,orifthelaundress’sworkwasunsatisfactory,themaidsaid,“ThiswillneverdoforMissHarleth”ifthewoodsmokedinthebedroomfire-place,Mrs.Davilow,whoseownweakeyessufferedmuchfromthisinconvenience,spokeapologeticallyofittoGwendolen.If,whentheywereunderthestressoftraveling,shedidnotappearatthebreakfasttabletilleveryoneelsehadfinished,theonlyquestionwas,howGwendolen’scoffeeandtoastshouldstillbeofthehottestandcrispestandwhensheappearedwithherfreshly-brushedlight-brownhairstreamingbackwardandawaitinghermamma’shandtocoilitup,herlargebrowneyesglancingbrightasawave-washedonyxfromundertheirlonglashes,itwasalwayssheherselfwhohadtobetolerant—tobegthatAlicewhosatwaitingonherwouldnotstickuphershouldersinthatfrightfulmanner,andthatIsabel,insteadofpushinguptoherandaskingquestions,wouldgoawaytoMissMerry. Alwaysshewastheprincessinexile,whointimeoffaminewastohaveherbreakfast-rollmadeofthefinest-boltedflourfromtheseventhinearsofwheat,andinageneraldecampmentwastohavehersilverforkkeptoutofthebaggage.Howwasthistobeaccountedfor?Theanswermayseemtoliequiteonthesurface:—inherbeauty,acertainunusualnessabouther,adecisionofwillwhichmadeitselffeltinhergracefulmovementsandclearunhesitatingtones,sothatifshecameintotheroomonarainydaywheneverybodyelsewasflaccidandtheuseofthingsingeneralwasnotapparenttothem,thereseemedtobeasudden,sufficientreasonforkeepinguptheformsoflifeandeventhewaitersathotelsshowedthemorealacrityindoingawaywithcrumbsandcreasesanddregswithstrugglingfliesinthem.Thispotentcharm,addedtothefactthatshew