"There was fine doings up at the Villa last night, Miss Ida!" she
began, rather timidly, for Ida seldom encouraged her chatter. "There
was a ball there. Such a tremendous grand affair! There hasn't been
anything like it ever known in this country. Williams was up there this
morning, and Susie told him that it was like fairyland, what with the
beautiful rooms and the music and the ladies' rich dresses and jewels.
She got a peep through one of the open doors, and she says it quite
took her breath away."

Ida smiled. She was not envious; for would not Stafford come over
presently and tell her all about it: who was there, with whom he had
danced, and how all the time he had been longing to be by her side?

"Susie says that the ladies was beautiful, Miss Ida, and that the most
beautiful of them all was Miss Falconer. Susie says she had the most
lovely dress, like a cloud of smoke, with diamonds sparkling all over
it like stars."

"That sounds very pretty and poetical, Jessie," said Ida.

What would he care for a dress like a cloud, or the diamonds that shone
like stars on it? Did she not know that he loved the little rain-washed
habit which a certain rustic country girl wore, better than the
choicest production of Worth?

"Yes, miss," Jessie went on, "and Susie says that Mr. Stafford, the
lord's son"--the simple dale folk as often called Sir Stephen "my lord"
as "sir"--"danced ever so many times with her, and the servants was
saying that he was making love to her, and that they shouldn't be
surprised to hear that Mr. Stafford was going to marry Miss Falconer."