Suddenly there was a whirlwind of noise in the hall, the angry barking
of a small dog, the sound of a girl's voice laughing and scolding, the
swish of silk skirts. A scandalized butler, obeying Lady Grosville's
summons, threw the door open, and in burst Lady Kitty.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," said the new-comer, in a tone of despair. "But I
couldn't leave him up-stairs, Aunt Lina! He'd eaten one of my shoes, and
begun upon the other. And Julie's afraid of him. He bit her last week.
_May_ he sit on my knee? I know I can keep him quiet!"

[Illustration: "A SLIM GIRL IN WHITE AT THE FAR END OF THE LARGE ROOM"]

Every conversation in the library stopped. Twenty amazed persons turned
to look. They beheld a slim girl in white at the far end of the large
room struggling with a gray terrier puppy which she held under her
left arm, and turning appealing eyes towards Lady Grosville. The dog,
half frightened, half fierce, was barking furiously. Lady Kitty's voice
could hardly be heard through the din, and she was crimson with the
effort to control her charge. Her lips laughed; her eyes implored. And
to add to the effect of the apparition, a marked strangeness of dress
was at once perceived by all the English eyes turned upon her. Lady
Kitty was robed in the extreme of French fashion, which at that moment
was a fashion of flounces; she was much _décolletée;_ and her fair,
abundant hair, carried to a great height, and arranged with a certain
calculated wildness around her small face, was surmounted by a large
scarlet butterfly which shone defiantly against the dark background of
books.

"Kitty!" said Lady Grosville, advancing indignantly, "what a dreadful