“Lord de Burgh, I suppose?” said Mrs. Needham, in loud and cheerful accents.  “I am very pleased to see you” (De Burgh bowed); “and you, my dears—­I am very glad to see you too, especially if you will be so good as not to touch my china!”

“We haven’t broken anything!” cried Cecil, coming up to her and giving her a dingy little paw, while he stared in her face.  “Where is auntie?”

“She’ll be here directly.  This is Charlie:  what a sweet little fellow!  Why, your eyes are like your aunt’s.”

“Do you think so?” said De Burgh, drawing near.  “They are lighter—­a good deal lighter.”

“Perhaps so.  The shape and expression are like, though.  And so you have been to see the lions and tigers?”

“And the bears,” put in Charlie.

“Isn’t Lord de Burgh kind to take you—­”

“He is! he’s a jolly chap!” cried Cecil, warmly.  “I shouldn’t mind living with him.”

“Nor I either,” added Charlie.

Here Katherine made her appearance, a conscious look in her eyes, a flitting blush on her cheek.  The boys immediately flew to hug and kiss her, barely allowing her to shake hands with De Burgh.  Then, when she sat down on the sofa, Charlie established himself on her knee and Cecil knelt on the sofa, the better to put his arms round her neck.

“What dreadfully dirty little boys!  What have you been doing to yourselves?”

“Oh, we have been on the elephant and the camel, and in the ostrich cart.  Then Charlie tumbled down in the monkey-house.  Oh, how funny the monkeys are! and he” (pointing to Lord de Burgh) “took us to dinner.  Such a beautiful dinner in a lovely room!  He says he will take us to the circus.”

“I’ll ask him to take you too, auntie!” cried Charlie.

“Oh yes!” echoed Cecil.  “You’ll take her, Lord de Burgh, won’t you?  I don’t think auntie ever saw a circus.”

“If you promise to be very good, and that your aunt too will be quiet and well-behaved, I may be induced to let her come,” returned De Burgh, his deep-set eyes glittering with fun and anticipated pleasure.

“Thank you,” said Katherine, laughing, as soon as her delighted nephew ceased kissing her.

“And you’ll come?—­the day after to-morrow?  I will call for the boys, bring them round here.”

“If I have nothing special—­” she began.

“Certainly not; I will take care of that,” cried Mrs. Needham, “It is such a great thing to get a little amusement for the poor little fellows, and so very kind of Lord de Burgh to take so much trouble.”

“It is indeed.  I really don’t know how to thank you enough,” said Katherine.  “Mrs. Needham, I must really take them to wash their hands; they are so terribly dirty!”

“No; ring the bell; Ford will manage them nicely, and bring them back in a few minutes.”  Mrs. Needham rang energetically as she spoke, and the young gentlemen were speedily marched off.