It was quite a relief when she left town, and Katherine felt once more her own mistress.  Her heart yearned for her little nephews, but she felt it was wiser to wait and see them at home rather than send for them at present.  She greatly feared that the new baby, the son of a living, prosperous father, was pushing the sons of the first husband—­who had taken his unlucky self out of the world, where he had been anything but a success—­from their place in her affections.

Meantime she held frequent consultations with Mr. Newton, who was very devoted to her service, and anxious to do his best for her.  He remonstrated earnestly with her on her over-generosity to her nephews.  “Provide for them if you will, my dear young lady, but believe me you are by no means called upon to divide your property with them.  Do not make them too independent of you; hold something in your hand.  Besides, you do not know what considerations may arise to make you regret too great liberality.”

“I have very little use for money now,” said Katherine, sadly.

“You have always been remarkably moderate in your expenditure,” returned the lawyer, who had the entire management of her affairs.  “But now you will probably like to establish yourself in London, say, for headquarters.”

“Not for the present.  I shall stay where I am until some plan of life suggests itself.”

“Perhaps you are right, and certainly you are a very prudent young lady.”

This conversation took place in Mr. Newton’s office, and after some further discussion Katherine was persuaded to settle a third instead of the half of her property on her nephews, out of which a jointure was to be paid to Mrs. Ormonde.

“I wish I could have the boys with me,” said Katherine, as she rose to leave Mr. Newton.

“My dear Miss Liddell, take care how you saddle yourself with the difficult task of standing in loco parentis; leave the very serious responsibilities of bringing up boys to the mother whose they are.  At your age, and with the almost certainty of forming new ties, such a step would be very imprudent.”

“At all events I shall see how they all get on at Castleford before I commit myself to anything.  You will lose no time, dear Mr. Newton, in getting this deed ready for my signature.  I do not want to say anything about it till it is ‘signed, sealed, and delivered.’”

“It shall be put in hand at once.  When shall you be going out of town?”

“Not for ten days or a fortnight.”

“The sooner the better.  I do not like to see you look so pale and sad.  Excuse me if I presume in saying so.  Well, I don’t think your uncle ever did a wiser act than in destroying that will of his before he made another.  The extraordinary instinct he had about money must have warned him that his precious fortune would be best bestowed on so prudent yet so generous a young lady as yourself.”