His manner, as he addressed his wife and daughter, was almost
official.
"I am to take it, I believe," he began, "that you have finally decided,
Ella, to embrace our friend Delarey's suggestion and to leave us on
Saturday for New York?"
"If you please," Ella murmured, with glowing eyes. "I can't tell you how
grateful I am to you both for letting me go."
"It is naturally a wrench to us," Lord Ashleigh confessed, "especially as
circumstances which you already know of prevent either your mother or
myself from being with you during the first few months of your stay there.
You have very many friends in New York, however, and your mother tells me
that there will be no difficulty about your chaperonage at the various
social functions to which you will, of course, be bidden."
"I think that will be all right, dad," Ella ventured.
"You will take your own maid with you, of course," Lord Ashleigh
continued. "Lenora is a good girl and I am sure she will look after you
quite well, but I have decided, although it is a somewhat unusual step, to
supplement Lenora's surveillance over your comfort by sending with you,
also, as a sort of courier and general attendant--whom do you think? Well,
Macdougal."
Lady Ashleigh looked across the table with knitted brows.
"Macdougal, George? Why, however will you spare him?"
"We can easily," Lord Ashleigh declared, "find a temporary butler.
Macdougal has lived in New York for some years, and you will doubtless
find this a great advantage, Ella.
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