‘Now look over the balustrade, and you will see them all in a minute,’ said Mrs. Menlove.  ’O, you need not be timid; you can look out as far as you like.  We are all independent here; no slavery for us:  it is not as it is in the country, where servants are considered to be of different blood and bone from their employers, and to have no eyes for anything but their work.  Here they are coming.’

Picotee then had the pleasure of looking down upon a series of human crowns—­some black, some white, some strangely built upon, some smooth and shining—­descending the staircase in disordered column and great discomfort, their owners trying to talk, but breaking off in the midst of syllables to look to their footing.  The young girl’s eyes had not drooped over the handrail more than a few moments when she softly exclaimed, ’There she is, there she is!  How lovely she looks, does she not?’

‘Who?’ said Mrs. Menlove.

Picotee recollected herself, and hastily drew in her impulses.  ’My dear mistress,’ she said blandly.  ’That is she on Mr. Doncastle’s arm.  And look, who is that funny old man the elderly lady is helping downstairs?’

’He is our honoured guest, Lord Mountclere.  Mrs. Doncastle will have him all through the dinner, and after that he will devote himself to Mrs. Petherwin, your “dear mistress.”  He keeps looking towards her now, and no doubt thinks it a nuisance that she is not with him.  Well, it is useless to stay here.  Come a little further—­we’ll follow them.’  Menlove began to lead the way downstairs, but Picotee held back.

‘Won’t they see us?’ she said.

’No.  And if they do, it doesn’t matter.  Mrs. Doncastle would not object in the least to the daughter of her respected head man being accidentally seen in the hall.’

They descended to the bottom and stood in the hall.  ‘O, there’s father!’ whispered Picotee, with childlike gladness, as Chickerel became visible to her by the door.  The butler nodded to his daughter, and became again engrossed in his duties.

‘I wish I could see her—­my mistress—­again,’ said Picotee.

‘You seem mightily concerned about your mistress,’ said Menlove.  ’Do you want to see if you have dressed her properly?’

‘Yes, partly; and I like her, too.  She is very kind to me.’

’You will have a chance of seeing her soon.  When the door is nicely open you can look in for a moment.  I must leave you now for a few minutes, but I will come again.’

Menlove departed, and Picotee stood waiting.  She wondered how Ethelberta was getting on, and whether she enjoyed herself as much as it seemed her duty to do in such a superbly hospitable place.  Picotee then turned her attention to the hall, every article of furniture therein appearing worthy of scrutiny to her unaccustomed eyes.  Here she walked and looked about for a long time till an excellent opportunity offered itself of seeing how affairs progressed in the dining-room.