He laughed lightly, therefore, at Mabel's words, put his arm round his
younger sister's unformed waist, and said, in a gay voice:

"I won't scold either of you any more until I have had something to
eat."

"We live very quietly at the Manor," remarked Mabel, "Mother wants to
save, you know. She says we must keep up our refinement at any cost, but
our meals are very--" she glanced with a gay laugh at Catherine.

"Oh, by Jove! I hope you don't stint in the matter of food," exclaimed
the brother. "You'll have to drop it while I'm here, I can tell you. I
thought the mater would be up to some little game of this kind when she
buried you alive in such an out-of-the-way corner. She makes a great
mistake though, and so I shall tell her. Young girls of your age ought
to be fed up. You'll develop properly then, you won't otherwise. That's
the new dodge. All the doctors go upon it. Feed up the young to any
extent, and they'll pay for it by-and-bye. Plenty of good English beef
and mutton. What's the matter, Kate? What are you laughing in that
immoderate manner for?"

"Oh, nothing, Loftie. I may laugh, I suppose, without saying why. I wish
you would not put on that killing air, though. And you know perfectly
there is no use in laying down the law in mother's house."

The three young people were now standing in the hall, and Clara tripped
timidly forward.

"We want dinner as quickly as possible, Clara," said Mabel. "Come,