"Take care what you hope, Barbara," said Lady de la Poer, smiling:
"and at any rate forgive this poor little maiden for our disaster, or
my husband will be in despair."

"I have nothing to forgive," said Lady Barbara gravely. "Katharine
cannot have seriously expected punishment for what is not a moral
fault. The only difference will be the natural consequences to
herself of her folly.--You had better go down to the schoolroom,
Katharine, have your tea, and then go to bed; it is nearly the usual
time."

Lady de la Poer warmly kissed the child, and then remained a little
while with the aunts, trying to remove what she saw was the
impression, that Kate had been complaining of severe treatment, and
taking the opportunity of telling them what she herself thought of
the little girl. But though Aunt Barbara listened politely, she
could not think that Lady de la Poer knew anything about the
perverseness, heedlessness, ill-temper, disobedience, and rude
ungainly ways, that were so tormenting. She said no word about them
herself, because she would not expose her niece's faults; but when
her friend talked Kate's bright candid conscientious character, her
readiness, sense, and intelligence, she said to herself, and perhaps
justly, that here was all the difference between at home and abroad,
an authority and a stranger.

Meantime, Kate wondered what would be the natural consequences of her
folly. Would she have a rheumatic fever or consumption, like a child
in a book?--and she tried breathing deep, and getting up a little
cough, to see if it was coming! Or would the Lord Chancellor hear of