“I am not sure.  I don’t feel much disposed to go.”

“Good-by for the present, then.  Good-morning,” to Mrs. Ormonde, and Miss Bradley swept out of the room.

“Well, Katherine!” cried Mrs. Ormonde, when her sister-in-law returned, “you seem to have fallen on your feet here.  Pray who is that fine, elegant girl who seems so fond of you?”

“She is the daughter of a wealthy publisher, and has been very kind to me.”

“Ah, yes!  I remember now, Lady Carton said she would have a large fortune; and so she is your intimate friend?”

“Well, a very kind friend.”

“Now I must bid you good-by.  I am sure I am very glad you are so comfortable.  I am going back to Castleford to-morrow, or I should call again.  You are going to be Lucky Katherine, after all; I am sure you are;” and with many sweet words she disappeared.

“Lucky,” repeated Katherine, as she returned to her task, “mine has been strange luck.”

* * * * *

Despite Mrs. Ormonde’s assurances that De Burgh had quite forgotten her, the news that he was once more in town disturbed Katherine.  Unless some new fancy had driven her out of his head, she felt sure that his first step in the new and independent existence on which he had entered would be to seek her out and renew the offer he had twice made before.  Money or no money, position, circumstances, all were but a feather-weight compared to the imperative necessity of having his own way.

It would be very painful to be obliged to refuse him again, for, in spite of her grave disapprobation of him in many ways, she liked him, and had a certain degree of confidence in him.  There were the possibilities of a good character even in his faults, and it grieved her to be obliged to pain him.

“After all, I may be troubling myself about a vain image; it is more than a month since I saw him.  He is now a wealthy peer, and it is impossible to say how circumstances may have changed him.”

When Mrs. Needham had dressed for the dinner which was to precede Madam Caravicelli’s reception, Katherine put on her bonnet and cloak and set off to spend a couple of hours with Rachel Trant, not only to avoid a lonely evening, but to change the current of her thoughts—­loneliness and thought being her greatest enemies at present.

She had grown quite accustomed to make her way by omnibus, and as the days grew longer and the weather finer, she hoped to be able to walk across Campden Hill, not only shortening the distance but saving the fare.  A visit to Rachel amused Katherine and drew her out of herself more than anything; the details of the business and management of property which she felt was her own had a large amount of interest—­real, living interest.  The state of the books, the increase of custom, the addition to the small capital which Rachel was gradually accumulating—­all these were subjects not easily exhausted.  Both partners agreed that their great object, now that the undertaking was beginning to maintain itself, was to lay by all they could, for of course bad debts and bad times would come.