"Never fear, ma'am," said Lydia, smiling quietly to herself, as she pulled her mistress's long pink silk stocking over her hand, and turned it knowingly from side to side, looking for invisible damage, "the pelisse is as good as mine already."
"But, think you, was Sir Jasper at home?" said Mistress Bellairs, after a few moments' reflection.
"I am sure of that," said Lydia triumphantly, peeling off the stocking. "I thought it best to go in by the mews, ma'am, and I heard that Sir Jasper had not left the house since that little—that little affair with the Bishop, you know, ma'am. But all the night, and all the morning, he kept William and Joseph (those are the grooms, ma'am) going backwards and forwards with challenges to the Bishop's lodgings."
"Oh!" cried Kitty, and kicked her little toes under the silk counterpane with exquisite enjoyment, "and what does the Bishop answer, I wonder?"
"Sends back the letter every time unopened, ma'am, with a fresh text written on the back of it. The texts it is, William says, that drive Sir Jasper mad."
"Oh! oh! oh!" cried Mistress Kitty faintly, rolling about her pillows. "Child, you'll be the death of me! ... Well, then, to business. You know what you are to do to-night?"
"No sooner are you gone to the Assembly Rooms this evening, ma'am, than I take a letter from you for Lady Standish, and this time deliver it myself to her own hand, and, if needs be, persuade her to follow your advice, ma'am."
"Right, girl; thou shalt have the gold locket with the Turkey stones——"
"Thank you, ma'am. Well, then, I'm to scurry as fast as I can to the corner of Bond Street and Quiet Street, and watch you being carried off by the gentleman. And then——"
"Be sure you wait till the chaise has well started."