"But won't that militate against my usefulness, Mrs. Atterbury?" The girl looked unflinchingly into her eyes. "The people you send me to meet identify me by means of this mark. How will they recognize me if it is covered?"
Mrs. Atterbury drew her breath in sharply between her teeth, and her fingers tightened about the little jar, but she replied coolly:
"You will not be called upon to go on any errands of that sort for some time to come. In describing your appearance the scar was naturally mentioned but it is not essential for your identification. Remember I am not asking you to hide it solely for your own benefit, Betty. I find that it has a disagreeable effect upon my guests and those about us in the household and I am considering their feelings as well as yours when I insist that you disguise it as much as possible. This may seem brutally frank to you, but you know that the blemish makes no difference to me personally, nor to anyone who really cares for you. Come, sit here, and let me show you what a magical change I can effect."
Betty drew back and stood very straight and tall before her employer.
"I am sorry, Mrs. Atterbury, but I cannot allow anyone to touch my face. You are very kind to have taken this interest in me and I appreciate it. I will gladly accept the preparations and use them myself if you will give me the directions, but if anyone else attempted it I should go mad with nervous torture. I hope you understand; I may seem abnormally sensitive to you, but I really could not endure it."
Mrs. Atterbury, with a shrug, capitulated:
"Very well, my dear, you must do as you like, of course. The directions are upon each jar. Use it this afternoon and let me see at dinner how much it has improved your appearance."
Betty took the articles murmuring her thanks and went to her own room. There she carefully extracted a small quantity of their contents from each of the jars, wrapped it in paper and burnt it in the grate. This done she seated herself before her dressing-table, and with cosmetics of her own applied herself to her task.
She worked long and painstakingly, but at length the result was achieved to her satisfaction and she sat back and surveyed herself in the mirror.
The mark was almost obliterated, only the faintest shadow of deeper color showing beneath the rose-pink glow which tinted her cheeks from brow to neck, and with the disfigurement banished her whole expression changed. It was as if a different personality were reflected before her, and Betty's first gleam of pleasure at her handiwork gave place to a little frown of doubt and uncertainty, not unmixed with trepidation. What motive lay behind this suggestion from Mrs. Atterbury?