children of her sister, Lady Adelaide Egremont. Mark was rather a
study to his uncle and aunt all the evening. He was as upright and
honourable as the day, and not only acted on high principle, but had
a tender feeling to the beautiful playfellow governess, no doubt
enhanced by painful experiences of successors chosen for their utter
dissimilarity to her. Still it was evidently rather flat to find
himself probably so near the tangible goal of his romantic search;
and the existence of a first cousin had been startling to him, though
his distaste was more to the taking her from second-rate folk in a
country town than to the overthrow of his own heirship. At least so
he manifestly and honestly believed, and knowing it to be one of
those faiths that make themselves facts, the Kirkaldys did not
disturb him in it, nor commiserate him for a loss which they thought
the best thing possible for him.

Miss Headworth was accustomed to receive visitors anent boarders, so
when Lady Kirkaldy's card was brought to her, the first impression
was that some such arrangement was to be made. She was sitting in
her pretty little drawing-room alone, for Nuttie and her mother had
gone out for a walk with Miss Nugent.

The room, opening on the garden, and cool with blinds, had a certain
homely grace about the faded furniture. The drawings on the walls
were good, the work quaint and tasteful. There was a grand vase of
foxgloves before the empty grate, and some Marshal Nial roses in a
glass on the table. The old lady herself--with alert black eyes and
a sweet expression--rose from her chair in the window to receive her
guest.

Lady Kirkaldy felt reassured as to the refinement of the