"She is not so pretty as Miss Burton," remarked Coral; who, for some reason or other, was not enchanted with the fair widow, as Beryl was.
"I don't know," returned Beryl; "Miss Burton has not such golden hair. Which do you think the prettiest, papa: Miss Burton or Mrs. Campbell?"
"Oh, Miss Burton, by a long way," he answered, without a moment's hesitation.
The children thoroughly enjoyed walking through the Park, and gazed with charmed eyes on the novel sights they saw there. True, the wind was in the east, but what do children reck of east winds, if only the sun be bright!
The weather continuing fine, they had plenty of sight-seeing in the days that followed. Mrs. Campbell was indefatigable in her efforts to amuse them. She took them to all the sights and shows that children love, marched them through the bazaars, and purchased for them many of the pretty and curious toys which decked the stalls. It was evident that Beryl held the first place in the lady's regard. The presents given to her were generally more handsome and costly than those bestowed on Coral. Beryl was not so well aware of this as Coral was. If she noticed it, she did not think it strange that she should have better things than her little sister. She was accustomed to have the first consideration.
Though he liked little Coral, and was kind to her, Mr. Hollys could not treat her quite as he treated his own child.
The weeks of the children's stay in London passed rapidly away. Mr. Hollys did not have a great deal of Beryl's company, although he was a frequent visitor at the house in Hyde Park Gardens, but he heard much of his child's sayings and doings from the lips of Mrs. Campbell. Beryl was vexed that her father had so little leisure to bestow on her. He would readily promise to take her anywhere she wished to go; but the time for doing so was seldom found. Perhaps Beryl would not have minded this, could she have seen more of Percy. But Percy at home was a different person from Percy at Egloshayle. He was working hard for an examination, and could spare scarcely any time for trifling with the children.
Mr. Hollys had promised Beryl before they left home that he would take her to see her friend David Gilbank during her visit to London; but week after week went by, and the promise was not redeemed, although Beryl did not fail to remind him of it.
One day in the first week in May, when Mr. Hollys was lunching at Mrs. Everard's, some one mentioned the Royal Academy Exhibition, just opened, and Mrs. Everard invited Mr. Hollys to drive there, with herself and her daughter, that afternoon.
"I shall be very happy," said Mr. Hollys, with careless politeness; "the pictures are said to be well worth seeing this year."