She said not one word about meeting them, and for the first day or
two even begged to walk in the square instead of the park; and she
was so good and steady with her lessons, and so quiet in her
movements, that she scarcely met a word of blame for a whole week.

One morning, while she was at breakfast with Lady Barbara and Mrs.
Lacy, the unwonted sound of a carriage stopping, and of a double
knock, was heard. In a moment the colour flushed into Lady Barbara's
face, and her eyes lighted: then it passed away into a look of
sadness. It had seemed to her for a moment as if the bright young
nephew who had been the light and hope of her life, were going to
look in on her; and it had only brought the remembrance that he was
gone for ever, and that in his stead there was only the poor little
girl, to whom rank was a misfortune, and who seemed as if she would
never wear it becomingly. Kate saw nothing of all this; she was only
eager and envious for some change and variety in these long dull
days. It was Lord de la Poer and his daughter Adelaide, who the next
moment were in the room; and she remembered instantly that she had
heard that this was to be Adelaide's birthday, and wished her many
happy returns in all due form, her heart beating the while with
increasing hope that the visit concerned herself.

And did it not? Her head swam round with delight and suspense, and
she could hardly gather up the sense of the words in which Lord de la
Poer was telling Lady Barbara that Adelaide's birthday was to be
spent at the Crystal Palace at Sydenham; that the other girls were
gone to the station with their mother, and that he had come round
with Adelaide to carry off Kate, and meet the rest at ten o'clock.
Lady de la Poer would have written, but it had only boon settled that
morning on finding that he could spare the day.