"My dear Katherine, you are quite different. Of course Lady Alice is sweet and elegant, but not clever. Indeed, I cannot see the use of cleverness to women. There is a fine aristocratic air about her. After all, there is nothing like high birth. I assure you it is a high compliment her being allowed to stay here. Her aunt, Lady Mary Vincent, is a very fine lady indeed, and chaperons Lady Alice. But her father, Lord Melford, is a curious, reckless sort of man, always wandering about—yachting and that kind of thing; he is rather in difficulties too. They are glad enough to send her down here to see something of Errington. You know Errington is a very good match; he has bought a great deal of the Melford property, and when old Errington dies he will be immensely rich. The poor old man is in miserable health; he has not been down here all the winter. I believe the wedding is to take place in June; we will be invited, of course; you see Colonel Ormonde is so highly connected that I am in a very different position from what I was accustomed to. And you, dear, you must marry some person of rank; there is nothing like it."
"Yes," said Katherine, with a sigh, "everything is changed."
"Fortunately!" cried the exultant Mrs. Ormonde, opening the door of a luxuriously appointed nursery.
"Here, nurse, I have brought Miss Liddell to see Master Ormonde."
A middle-aged woman, well dressed, and of authoritative aspect, rose from where she sat at needle-work, and came forward.
"I have only just got him to sleep, ma'am," she said, almost in a whisper, "and if he is awoke now, I'll not get him off again before midnight."
"We'll be very careful, nurse. Is he not a fine little fellow, Katherine?" and she softly turned back the bedclothes from the sturdy, chubby child, who had a somewhat bull dog style of countenance and a beautifully fair skin.
"How ridiculously like Colonel Ormonde he is!" whispered Katherine. "I do not see any trace of you."
"No; he is quite an Ormonde. He is twice as big as either Cis or Charlie was at his age."
After a few civil comments Katherine suggested their visiting the other children.