Chapter 29

In the serious little room the Duchess had given to her Robin
built for herself a condition she called happiness. She drew the
spiritual substance from which it was made from her pleasure in
the books of reference closely fitted into their shelves, in the
files for letters and more imposing documents, in the varieties
of letter paper and envelopes of different sizes and materials
which had been provided for her use in case of necessity.

"You may not use the more substantial ones often, but you must be
prepared for any unexpected contingency," the Duchess had explained,
thereby smoothing her pathway by the suggestion of responsibilities.

The girl did not know the extent of her employer's consideration
for her, but she knew that she was kind with a special grace
and comprehension. A subtle truth she also did not recognize was
that the remote flame of her own being was fiercely alert in its
readiness to leap upward at any suspicion that her duties were
not worth the payment made for them and that for any reason which
might include Lord Coombe she was occupying a position which was
a sinecure. She kept her serious little room in order herself,
dusting and almost polishing the reference books, arranging and
re-arranging the files with such exactness of system that she
could--as is the vaunt of the model of orderly perfection--lay her
hand upon any document "in the dark." She was punctuality's self
and held herself in readiness at any moment to appear at the
Duchess' side as if a magician had instantaneously transported her
there before the softly melodious private bell connected with her
room had ceased to vibrate. The correctness of her to deference
to the convenience of Mrs. James the housekeeper in her simplest
communication with Dowie quite touched that respectable person's
heart.

"She's a young lady," Mrs. James remarked to Dowie. "And a credit
to you and her governess, Mrs. Dowson. Young ladies have gone
almost out of fashion."

"Mademoiselle Valle had spent her governessing days among the
highest. My own places were always with gentle-people. Nothing
ever came near her that could spoil her manners. A good heart she
was born with," was the civil reply of Dowie.

"Nothing ever came NEAR her--?" Mrs. James politely checked what
she became conscious was a sort of unconscious exclamation.

"Nothing," said Dowie going on with her sheet hemming steadily.

Robin wrote letters and copied various documents for the Duchess,
she went shopping with her and executed commissions to order.
She was allowed to enter into correspondence with the village
schoolmistress and the wife of the Vicar at Darte Norham and to