Pretty Fraulein Muller was leaning over her balcony carrying on a conversation with a picturesque Spanish youth below.

Most of the English party had gone sledging and tobogganing.

Mrs.Reffold had asked Bernardine to join them, but she had refused.

Mrs.Reffold's friends were anything but attractive to Bernardine, although she liked Mrs.Reffold herself immensely.

There was no special reason why she should like her; she certainly had no cause to admire her every-day behaviour, nor her neglect of her invalid husband, who was passing away, uncared for in the present, and not likely to be mourned for in the future.