"When Clemmy wants painting and stuffing, it will be time enough
for her to think about getting one of your 'Ach Himmels' or 'Mon
Dieus'."
"I like the girl myself immensely," agreed Clementina's mother.
"You can trust her, and she doesn't give herself airs."
Her praises reached even the countess, suffering severely at the
moment from the tyranny of an elderly Fraulein.
"I must see this treasure," thought the countess to herself. "I am
tired of these foreign minxes."
But no matter at what cunning hour her ladyship might call, the
"treasure" always happened for some reason or other to be abroad.
"Your girl is always out when I come," laughed the countess. "One
would fancy there was some reason for it."
"It does seem odd," agreed Clementina, with a slight flush.
Miss Hodskiss herself showed rather than spoke her appreciation of
the girl. She seemed unable to move or think without her. Not
even from the interviews with Lord C- was the maid always absent.
The marriage, it was settled, should be by licence. Mrs. Hodskiss
made up her mind at first to run down and see to the preliminaries,
but really when the time arrived it hardly seemed necessary to take
that trouble.
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