herself, that she knew Mr. Mohun had sisters, and--'

'And what? Tell me, Maude. You must!'

'Well, then, you know you made me, and I think it is a shame. She said
she was glad she wasn't one of them, for you were such a peculiar
child.'

'Dear me, Maude, you needn't mind telling me that! I'm sure I don't
want to be like everybody else.'

'And are you going to one of your aunts?'

'Yes, to Aunt Lilias. Oh, Maude, he would not hear a word against it,
and I know it will be so horrid! Aunts are always nasty!'

'Kate is very fond of her aunt,' said Maude, who did not happen to have
any personal experiences to oppose to this sweeping assertion.

'Oh, I don't mean proper aunts, but aunts that have orphans left to
them.'

'But you are not an orphan, darling.'

'I dare say I shall be. 'Tis a horrible climate, and there are no end
of cannibals there, so that he would not take me out for anything,--and
sharks, and volcanoes, and hurricanes.'

'I don't think they eat people there now.'