somebody has said that there are only a very few kinds of people in the world, but that they are put into all sorts of places and conditions. the minute betty leicester looked at edith banfield next day she saw that she was a little like mary beck, her own friend and tideshead neighbor. the first thought was one of pleasure, and the second was a fear that the new "becky" would not have a good time at danesly. it was the morning after betty's own arrival. that first evening she had her dinner alone, and afterward was reading and resting after her journey in lady mary's own little sitting-room, which was next her own room. when pagot came up from her own hasty supper and "crack" with her friends to look after betty, and to unpack, she had great tales to tell of the large and noble company assembled at danesly house. "they're dining in the great banquet hall itself," she said with pride. "lady mary looks a queen at the head of the table, with the french prince beside her and the great earl of seacliff at the other side," said pagot proudly. "i took a look from the old musicians' gallery, miss, as i came along, and it was a fine sight, indeed. lady mary's own maid, as i have known well these many years, was telling me the names of the strangers." pagot was very proud of her own knowledge of fine people.

betty asked if it was far to the gallery; and, finding that it was quite near the part of the house where they were, she went out with pagot along the corridors with their long rows of doors, and into the musicians' gallery, where they found themselves at a delightful point of view. danesly castle had been built at different times; the banquet-hall itself was very old and stately, with a high, carved roof. there were beautiful old hangings and banners where the walls and roof met, and lower down were spread great tapestries. there was a huge fire blazing in the deep fireplace at the end, and screens before it; the long table twinkled with candle-light, and the gay company sat about it. betty looked first for papa, and saw him sitting beside lady dimdale, who was a great friend of his; then she looked for lady mary, who was at the head between the two gentlemen of whom pagot had spoken. she was still dressed in black lace, but with many diamonds sparkling at her throat, and she looked as sweet and quiet and self-possessed as if there were no great entertainment at all. the men-servants in their handsome livery moved quickly to and fro, as if they were actors in a play. the people at the table were talking and laughing, and the whole scene was so pleasant, so gay and friendly, that betty wished, for almost the first time, that she were grown up and dining late, to hear all the delightful talk. she and pagot were like swallows high under the eaves of the great room. papa looked really boyish, so many of the men were older than he. there were twenty at table; and pagot said, as betty counted them, that many others were expected the next day. you could imagine the great festivals of an older time as you looked down from the gallery. in the gallery itself there were quaint little heavy wooden stools for the musicians: the harpers and fiddlers and pipers who had played for so many generations of gay dancers, for whom the same lights had flickered, and over whose heads the old hangings had waved. you felt as if you were looking down at the past. betty and pagot closed the narrow door of the gallery softly behind them, and our friend went back to her own bedroom, where there was a nice fire, and nearly fell asleep before it, while pagot was getting the last things unpacked and ready for the night.