“Those young ladies,” she said, in an absent kind of way, to the little widow, who was standing beside her, “it is a pleasant life they live.  It is all amusement.  They have no hard work; no anxieties; no troubles; everything is made gentle for them by their friends; it is one enjoyment, and again and again; they have no care.”

“Don’t be so sure of that, Miss Nina,” Mrs. Grey said, with a quiet smile.  “I dare say many a one of those girls has worked as hard at her music as ever you have done, and has very little to show for it.  I dare say many a one of them would be glad to change her position for yours—­I mean, for the position you will have ere long.  Do you know, Mr. Moore,” she said, turning to Nina’s other companion, “that I am quite sure of this—­if Miss Burgoyne’s under-study was drafted into a travelling company, I am quite sure Miss Nina here could take her place with perfect confidence.”

“I don’t see why not,” he said, as if it were a matter of course.

“Then you know what would happen,” Mrs. Grey continued, turning again to the young lady, in whose future she seemed greatly interested.  “Miss Burgoyne would want a holiday, or her doctor would order her to give her voice a fortnight’s rest, or she might catch a bad cold—­and then comes your chance!  You know the music thoroughly? you know every bit of Miss Burgoyne’s ‘business;’ and Mr. Moore would be on the stage, or in the wings, to guide you as to your entrances and exits.  That will be a proud night for me, my dear; for I’ll be there—­oh, yes, I’ll be there; and if I have any stage experience at all, I tell you it will be a splendid triumph—­with such a voice as yours—­and there won’t be any more talk of keeping you as under-study to Miss Girond.  No,” she added, with a shrewd smile, “but there will be something else.  Miss Burgoyne won’t like it; she doesn’t like rivals near the throne, from what I can hear.  She’ll try to get you drafted off into one of the country companies—­mark my words.”

“The country?” said Nina, rather aghast.  “To go away into the country?”

“But look at the chance, my dear,” said the little ex-actress, eagerly.  “Look at the practice—­the experience!  And then, if you only take care of your voice, and don’t strain it by overwork, then you’ll be able to come back to London and just command any engagement you may want.”

“To come back to London after a long time?” she said, thoughtfully; and she was somewhat grave and reserved as they strolled idly back through the gardens, and through the Palace buildings, to the riverside hotel.