“Why, I gave you one only two years ago.”

“Two years ago!  Why, that is an age.  And you need not pay for this one.”

“I see she says she will pay us a visit if convenient.  Of course it is convenient.  I’ll run up to town on Sunday, and escort her down next day.  The meet is for Tuesday.  And mind you make things pleasant and comfortable for her, Ada.  She would be an important addition to our family.  A handsome, spirited girl with a good fortune to dispose of would be a feather in one’s cap, I can tell you.”

“You’ll find her awfully fallen off, Ormonde, and her spirits seem quite gone.  Still I shall be very glad to have her here.  But I do not see why you should go fetch her.  You know Lady Alice Mordaunt is coming on Saturday.”

“What does that matter?  I shall only be away one evening; and between you and me, though Lady Alice is everything that is nice and correct, she is enough to put the liveliest fellow on earth to sleep in half an hour.”

“How strange men are!” exclaimed Mrs. Ormonde, gathering up her letters and putting them into the pocket of her dainty lace and muslin apron.  “Nice, gentle, good women never attract you; you only care for bold——­”

“Vivacious, coquettish, attractive little widows, like one I once knew,” said the Colonel, laughing, as he carefully wiped his gray moustache.

“You are really too absurd!” she exclaimed, sharply.  “Do you mean to say I was ever bold?”

“No; I only mean to say you are an angel, and a deuced lucky angel in every sense into the bargain!  Now, have you any commissions?  I am going to Monckton this morning, and I fancy the dog-cart will be at the door.  Where’s the boy?  I’ll take him and nurse down to the gate with me if they’ll wrap up.  The little fellow is so fond of a drive.”

“My dear ’Duke!—­such a morning as this!  Do you think I would let the precious child out?”

“Nonsense!  Do not make a molly-coddle of him.  He is as strong as a horse.  Send for him anyway.  I haven’t seen him this morning.  And be sure you write a proper letter to Katherine Liddell; you had better let me see it before it goes.”

“Indeed I shall do nothing of the kind.  Do you think I never wrote a letter in my life before I knew you?”

“Oh, go your own way,” retorted the Colonel, beating a retreat to save a total rout.

In due course Katherine received an effusive letter of thanks, and a pressing invitation to come down to Castleford on the following Monday, and saying that as the hunting season was almost over, they would be very quiet till after Easter, when Mrs. Ormonde was going to town for a couple of months, ending with an assurance that the dear boys were dying to see her, and that Colonel Ormonde was going to London for the express purpose of escorting her on her journey.

“It is certainly not necessary,” observed Katherine, with a smile, “considering how accustomed I am to take care of myself.  Still it is kindly meant, and I shall accept the offer.”  This to Miss Payne, as they rose from luncheon where Katherine had told her the contents of her letter.