Page:Lady Anne Granard 1.pdf/46

Rh lady's-maid, whose office was certainly no sinecure, for Lady Anne required to be waited on in every possible manner. Moreover, though still a remarkably handsome woman, the Lady Anne Granard, the mother of five grown-up daughters, was not the Lady Anne Granard of five and twenty. It was not so easy to suit every shade of ribbon to her complexion; the cap, with its softening shadow of blonde was requisite, and needed also some judicious management.

Of all toilettes, that of autumnal beauty is the most difficult to superintend. The maid lacks credit, the mistress satisfaction; and even flattery loses its charm with the too sincere looking-glass staring you full in the face. Still this said toilette and its preparations occupied great part of the day, though now it was rather a habit than a pleasure. Unless on grand occasions, where some especial object was in view, Fanchette did not wait on the young ladies; and Louisa, for Mary was every day more and more put aside, knew very well that it was never without good and sufficient reason, if, while she was dressing, a rap was heard at the door, and Fanchette came in always with the same message: "Mademoiselle, not but the taste of mademoiselle was si parfaite, but Lady Anne had sent her to do her young lady's hair." The three attics were occupied by the girls; Mary, in right of her seniority, had the small third room to herself. Though fondly attached to her sisters, the first on every occasion to give up to them, yet there