"Not so far, but the future looks rather blue."

To this she made no reply. Leaving the room noiselessly, she retired to give a touch of kohl to her eyes, a dust of pearl powder to her cheeks, and then started on her mission of inquiry and reconciliation.

It is not to be denied that Katherine was greatly touched by De Burgh's thoughtful kindness to her boys. She had been a good deal troubled about their holidays, for she did not like to take full advantage of Mrs.

Needham's kind permission to absent herself as much as she liked in order to be with them, and she well knew that in Miss Payne's very orderly establishment the two restless, active little fellows would be a most discordant ingredient. Above all, she wanted them to have a very happy holiday, as she feared their cloudless sunny days were numbered.

The second morning, therefore, after she had deposited them in Wilton Street, when she went to inquire for them, and found that Lord de Burgh had called and carried them off to have luncheon with him first, and to spend the afternoon at the Zoological Gardens after, she could hardly credit her ears.

"I must say," observed Miss Payne, "that I am agreeably surprised. I had no idea Lord de Burgh was so straightforward and well-disposed a man. A little abrupt, and would not stand any nonsense, I fancy, but a sterling character. He has tact too. He always spoke of the boys as his cousin Colonel Ormonde's step-sons. He might be a good friend to them, Katherine."

"No doubt," she replied, thoughtfully.

"He will send his butler or house-steward to take them to Kew Gardens to-morrow; but I dare say he will call and tell you himself."

"He is wonderfully good," said Katherine, feeling puzzled and oppressed.

"I will go back, then, as fast as I can, and get my work done by six o'clock; then I may spend the evening here with you and the boys."

"Pray do, if you can manage it."

Lord de Burgh's remarkable conduct troubled Katherine a good deal. How ought she to act? Certainly he would not put himself out of the way for Cis and Charlie, had he not wished to please her, or really interested himself in them for her sake. Ought she to encourage him by accepting these very useful and kindly attentions? How could she reject them without saying as plainly by action as in words, "I know you are pressing your suit upon me, and I will not have it," which, after all, might be a mistake; besides, she would thus deprive her nephews of much pleasure. She could not come to a conclusion; she must let herself drift. But the question tormented her, and it was with an effort she banished it, and applied herself to her task of arranging her chief's notes.

Mrs. Needham was exceedingly busy that afternoon, and did not go out, as she had some provincial and colonial letters to finish, and had a couple of engagements in the evening. She and her secretary therefore wrote diligently till about half-past five, when Ford, the smart parlor-maid, announced that "the gentleman" and two little boys were in the drawing-room.

"Good gracious!" cried Mrs. Needham, slipping off her gla.s.ses. "This is growing interesting. I shall go and speak to Lord de Burgh myself.

Besides, I want to see your boys, my dear. How funny it sounds!"

"Do, Mrs. Needham. I will come."

Lord de Burgh was glaring absently out of the window, and the boys were eagerly examining the diverse and sundry objects thickly scattered around. They had wonderfully dirty hands and faces, their jackets were splashed as if with some foaming beverage, the knees of their knickerbockers were grubby with gravel and gra.s.s, and they had generally the aspect of having done wildly what they listed for some hours.

"Lord de Burgh, I suppose?" said Mrs. Needham, in loud and cheerful accents. "I am very pleased to see you" (De Burgh bowed); "and you, my dears--I am very glad to see you too, especially if you will be so good as not to touch my china!"

"We haven't broken anything!" cried Cecil, coming up to her and giving her a dingy little paw, while he stared in her face. "Where is auntie?"

"She'll be here directly. This is Charlie: what a sweet little fellow!

Why, your eyes are like your aunt's."

"Do you think so?" said De Burgh, drawing near. "They are lighter--a good deal lighter."

"Perhaps so. The shape and expression are like, though. And so you have been to see the lions and tigers?"

"And the bears," put in Charlie.

"Isn't Lord de Burgh kind to take you--"

"He _is!_ he's a jolly chap!" cried Cecil, warmly. "I shouldn't mind living with him."

"Nor I either," added Charlie.

Here Katherine made her appearance, a conscious look in her eyes, a flitting blush on her cheek. The boys immediately flew to hug and kiss her, barely allowing her to shake hands with De Burgh. Then, when she sat down on the sofa, Charlie established himself on her knee and Cecil knelt on the sofa, the better to put his arms round her neck.

"What dreadfully dirty little boys! What have you been doing to yourselves?"

"Oh, we have been on the elephant and the camel, and in the ostrich cart. Then Charlie tumbled down in the monkey-house. Oh, how funny the monkeys are! and he" (pointing to Lord de Burgh) "took us to dinner.

Such a beautiful dinner in a lovely room! He says he will take us to the circus."

"I'll ask him to take you too, auntie!" cried Charlie.

"Oh yes!" echoed Cecil. "You'll take her, Lord de Burgh, won't you? I don't think auntie ever saw a circus."

"If you promise to be _very_ good, and that your aunt too will be quiet and well-behaved, I may be induced to let her come," returned De Burgh, his deep-set eyes glittering with fun and antic.i.p.ated pleasure.

"Thank you," said Katherine, laughing, as soon as her delighted nephew ceased kissing her.

"And you'll come?--the day after to-morrow? I will call for the boys, bring them round here."

"If I have nothing special--" she began.

"Certainly not; I will take care of that," cried Mrs. Needham, "It is such a great thing to get a little amus.e.m.e.nt for the poor little fellows, and so very kind of Lord de Burgh to take so much trouble."

"It is indeed. I really don't know how to thank you enough," said Katherine. "Mrs. Needham, I must really take them to wash their hands; they are so terribly dirty!"

"No; ring the bell; Ford will manage them nicely, and bring them back in a few minutes." Mrs. Needham rang energetically as she spoke, and the young gentlemen were speedily marched off.

"I am afraid I am not a wise child's guide," said De Burgh, laughing; "but they ran and tumbled about till they got into an awful pickle. They are really capital little fellows, and most amusing. When do they go back to school?"

"In about ten days--on the 25th. I a.s.sure you I quite dread their going to this Wandsworth place. They have been asking, entreating me to let them go back to Sandbourne, but I think Cis at last grasps the idea that it is a question of money."

"It's an early initiation for him," observed De Burgh, as if to himself.

Then, eagerly: "You'll be sure to come with us on Friday, Miss Liddell?

The boys will enjoy the performance ever so much more if you are with them."

Katherine looked for half a second at Mrs. Needham, who nodded and frowned in a very energetic and affirmative way. "I shall be very glad to enjoy it with them," she said, hesitatingly, "if Mrs. Needham can spare me."

"Of course I can,"--briskly. "Lord de Burgh, if you care for music--not severe cla.s.sical music, you know--ballads, recitatives, and that sort of thing--Hyacinth O'Hara, the new tenor, and Mr. Merrydew, that wonderful mimic and singer, are coming to me next Tuesday; I shall be delighted to see you."

"Not so delighted, I am sure, as I shall be to come," returned De Burgh, with unusual suavity.

"Very well--half past nine. Don't be late, and don't forget."

"No danger of forgetting, I a.s.sure you."

"By-the-bye," resumed Mrs. Needham, as if seized with a happy thought, "Angela Bradley receives on Sunday afternoons at their delightful villa at Wimbledon all through the season. Her first 'at home' will be the Sunday after next. I am sure she will be delighted to see any friend of Miss Liddell's."

"If Miss Liddell will be so good as to answer for me, I shall be most happy to present myself. To make sure of being properly backed up, suppose I call here for Miss Liddell and yourself, and and drive you down?

"Is it not rather far off to make arrangements?" asked Katherine, growing somewhat uneasy at thus drifting into a succession of of engagements with the man she half liked, half dreaded.