against her but also all that she had been storing up since the beginning of the season against life and destiny.  Selina sat on the floor stupefied; Margaret, a very incarnation of fury, raged up and down the room, venting every and any insult a naturally caustic wit suggested.  “And,” she wound up, “I want you to clear out at once.  I’ll send you your month’s wages.  I can’t give you a character—­ except for honesty.  I’ll admit, you are too stupid to steal.  Clear out, and never let me see you again.”

She swept from the room, drove away to lunch at Mrs. Baker’s.  She acted much as usual, seemed to be enjoying herself, for the luncheon was very good indeed, Mrs. Baker’s chef being new from France and not yet grown careless, and the company was amusing.  At the third course she rose.  “I’ve forgotten something,” said she.  “I must go at once.  No, no one must be disturbed on my account.  I’ll drive straight home.”  And she was gone before Mrs. Baker could rise from her chair.

At home Margaret went up to her own room, through her bedroom to Selina’s—­almost as large and quite as comfortable as her own and hardly plainer.  She knocked.  As there was no answer, she opened the door.  On the bed, sobbing heart-brokenly, lay Selina, crushed by the hideous injustice of being condemned capitally merely for tearing off a bit of leather which the shoemaker had neglected to make secure.

“Selina,” said Margaret.

The maid turned her big, homely, swollen face on the pillow, ceased sobbing, gasped in astonishment.

“I’ve come to beg your pardon,” said Margaret, not as superior to inferior, nor yet with the much-vaunted “just as if they were equals,” but simply as one human being to another.  The maid sat up.  One of her braids had come undone and was hanging ludicrously down across her cheek.

“I insulted you, and I’m horribly ashamed.”  Wistfully:  “Will you forgive me?”

“Oh, law!” cried the maid despairingly, “I’m dreaming.”  And she threw herself down once more and sobbed afresh.

Margaret knelt beside the bed, put her hand appealingly on the girl’s shoulder.  “Can you forgive me, Selina?” said she.  “There’s no excuse for me except that I’ve had so much hard luck, and everything seems to be going to pieces under me.”

Selina stopped sobbing.  “I told a story when I came to you and said I’d had three years’ experience,” moaned she, not to be outdone in honorable generosity.  “It was only three months as lady’s maid, and not much of a lady, neither.”

“I don’t in the least care,” Margaret assured her.  “I’m not strictly truthful myself at times, and I do all sorts of horrid things.”

“But that’s natural in a lady,” objected Selina, “where there ain’t no excuse for me that have only my character.”

Margaret was careful not to let Selina see her smile in appreciation of this unconsciously profound observation upon life and morals.  “Never mind,” said she; “you’re going to be a good maid soon.  You’re learning quickly.”