“Well, I am exceedingly thankful I carry mine in my pocket,” returned De Burgh, laughing.  “Evidently Errington can do no wrong in your eyes.  Let us wish him success in his wooing.  So I am not to be your escort to Sandbourne?  You ought to let me be your courier, I have knocked about so much.  I thought I’d take to the road in the modern sense, when I came to my last sou, if the poor old lord had not died.  Now I am going to be a pattern man as landlord, peer, and sportsman.  Can’t give up that, you know.”

“I do not see why you should.”

“I see you are looking at the clock; that means I am staying too long.  You don’t know how delightful it is to sit here talking to you, without any third person to bore us.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, Lord de Burgh, but you see I have letters to write for my chief.”

“The deuce you have!  It is too awful to see you in slavery.”

“Very pleasant, easy slavery.”

“So this chief of yours gives parties, receptions, at homes.  Why doesn’t she ask me?”

“I am sure she would if she knew of your existence.”

“Do you mean to say you have never mentioned me to her, nor enlarged upon my many delightful and noble qualities?”

“I am ashamed to say I have not.”

Lord de Burgh rose slowly and reluctantly.  “Are you going to bring the boys here?”

“No; Miss Payne has most kindly invited them to stay with her.  As yet she has not found any one to replace me.  Poor little souls, I shall be glad when their holidays are over, for I fear they are not the same joy to Miss Payne as they are to me.”

“Ah! believe me, you want some help in bringing up a couple of boys.  Just fancy what Cis will be six or seven years hence.  Why, he’ll play the devil if he hasn’t a strong hand over him.”

“I don’t believe it!” cried Katherine, smiling.  “Why should he be worse than other boys?”

“Why should he be better?”

“Well, I can but do my best for them,” said Katherine with a sigh.

“I am a brute to prophesy evil, when you have enough to contend with already,” cried De Burgh, taking her hand, and looking into her eyes with an expression she could not misunderstand.

“You must not exaggerate my troubles,” returned Katherine, with a sweet bright smile on her lips and in her eyes that thanked him for his sympathy, even while she gently withdrew her hand.

“I wish you would let me help you,” said De Burgh; and as her lips parted to reply, he went on, hastily:  “No, no; don’t answer—­not yet, at least.  You will only say something disagreeable, in spite of your charming lips.  Now I’ll not intrude on you any longer.  I suppose there is no objection to my calling on the young gentlemen at Miss Payne’s, and taking them to a circus, or Madame Tussaud’s, or any other dissipation suited to their tender years?”

“My dear Lord de Burgh, what an infliction for you! and how very good of you to think of them!  Pray do not trouble about them.”