‘The angel!’ exclaimed Mrs. Cadurcis.  ’The sweet seraph!  Oh! why did not my Plantagenet speak to you, Lady Annabel, in the same tone?  And he can, if he likes; he can, indeed.  It was his silence that so mortified me; it was his silence that led to all.  I am so proud of him! and then he comes here, and never speaks a word.  O Plantagenet, I am sure you will break my heart.’

Venetia went up to the little lord in the corner, and gently stroked his dark cheek.  ‘Are you the little boy?’ she said.

Cadurcis looked at her; at first the glance was rather fierce, but it instantly relaxed.  ‘What is your name?’ he said in a low, but not unkind, tone.

‘Venetia!’

‘I like you, Venetia,’ said the boy.  ‘Do you live here?’

‘Yes, with my mamma.’

’I like your mamma, too; but not so much as you.  I like your gold hair.’

‘Oh, how funny! to like my gold hair!’

‘If you had come in sooner,’ said Cadurcis, ’we should not have had this row.’

‘What is a row, little boy?’ said Venetia.

‘Do not call me little boy,’ he said, but not in an unkind tone; ’call me by my name.’

‘What is your name?’

’Lord Cadurcis; but you may call me by my Christian name, because I like you.’

‘What is your Christian name?’

‘Plantagenet.’

‘Plantagenet!  What a long name!’ said Venetia.  ’Tell me then, Plantagenet, what is a row?’

’What often takes place between me and my mother, but which I am sorry now has happened here, for I like this place, and should like to come often.  A row is a quarrel.’

‘A quarrel!  What! do you quarrel with your mamma?’

‘Often.’

‘Why, then, you are not a good boy.’

‘Ah! my mamma is not like yours,’ said the little lord, with a sigh.  ‘It is not my fault.  But now I want to make it up; how shall I do it?’

‘Go and give her a kiss.’

‘Poh! that is not the way.’

‘Shall I go and ask my mamma what is best to do?’ said Venetia; and she stole away on tiptoe, and whispered to Lady Annabel that Plantagenet wanted her.  Her mother came forward and invited Lord Cadurcis to walk on the terrace with her, leaving Venetia to amuse her other guest.

Lady Annabel, though kind, was frank and firm in her unexpected confidential interview with her new friend.  She placed before him clearly the enormity of his conduct, which no provocation could justify; it was a violation of divine law, as well as human propriety.  She found the little lord attentive, tractable, and repentant, and, what might not have been expected, exceedingly ingenious and intelligent.  His observations, indeed, were distinguished by remarkable acuteness; and though he could not, and indeed did not even attempt to vindicate his conduct, he incidentally introduced much that might be urged in its extenuation.  There was indeed in this, his milder moment, something