very pleasant-looking gentleman, followed by a boy of about her own
age.

"Here is our niece," said Lady Barbara. "Katharine, come and speak
to Lord de la Poer."

Kate liked his looks, and the way in which he held out his hand to
her; but she knew she should be scolded for her awkward greeting: so
she put out her hand as if she had no use of her arm above the elbow,
hung down her head, and said "--do;" at least no more was audible.

But there was something comfortable and encouraging in the grasp of
the strong large hand over the foolish little fingers; and he quite
gave them to his son, whose shake was a real treat; the contact with
anything young was like meeting a follow-countryman in a foreign
land, though neither as yet spoke.

She found out that the boy's name was Ernest, and that his father was
taking him to school, but had come to arrange some business matters
for her aunts upon the way. She listened with interest to Lord de la
Poer's voice, for she liked it, and was sure he was a greater friend
there than any she had before seen. He was talking about Giles--that
was her uncle, the Colonel in India; and she first gathered from what
was passing that her uncle's eldest and only surviving son, an
officer in his own regiment, had never recovered a wound he had
received at the relief of Lucknow, and that if he did not get better
at Simlah, where his mother had just taken him, his father thought of
retiring and bringing him home, though all agreed that it would be a
very unfortunate thing that the Colonel should be obliged to resign
his command before getting promoted; but they fully thought he would