"O Lillian," she cried, "how beautiful you look; but, my dear, you will take away my guests' breath. You know we are thoroughly informal at Hetherford."
Miss Stuart raised her hands to clasp a string of pearls about her throat, with slow deliberation.
"I am very sorry," she said distantly, "that my gown does not meet with your approval. I can easily change it."
"Why Lillian, I find your gown charming, and would not have you change it for the world; I exclaimed simply because I did not expect to see you en grande toilette."
"It did not occur to me that I was inappropriately dressed, but of course I am not conversant with your customs here."
The covert sneer was not lost upon Helen, and she flushed painfully at the sharp words. With her usual self-depreciation she felt reproached for what she considered her lack of tact and courtesy.
"I don't know how to tell you how sorry I am, Lillian," she murmured, with deep contrition, "for my inadvertent speech. I never knew you to look lovelier. Won't you please believe me when I tell you that?"
The naïveté of the compliment touched Miss Stuart, and she smiled gayly into Helen's troubled eyes.
"I admit that I did not understand you at first. I thought that I was guilty of a social error. However, it is all right now."
Helen put her hand on her shoulder, and turned her gently around.