“Her acting was no great things, they say-—ladylike, but frightened.  Her voice is lovely, and as to her looks-—people rave about them.  Tell me, she is not Lady Travis Underwood’s daughter?”

“Oh no; she is Anna’s sister, Adrian’s sister.”

“So I told Lady Rotherwood, I was sure it was so.”

“The Travis Underwoods have no children, but they adopted Emilia when I took Anna, and they have brought three Vanderkists to this affair.  Francie has never been from home before, it is all quite new to her.”  Then recollecting what Adrian had repeated, she thought it fair to add, “My sister was left very badly off, and all these eight girls will have nothing of their own.”

“Well, I don’t suppose anything will come of it.  I hope it will put no folly into her head; but at any rate it effaces that poor silly little Maura.  I hope too, as you say your niece is so innocent, it will do her no harm.”

“I don’t suppose any possibilities have occurred to the child.”

Lord Rotherwood here came on the scene.

“Jenny, there’s an offer for your boy in the fool’s cap, and Mysie doubts if she ought to let him go.  Well, Mrs. Grinstead, I think you have the best of it.  Lookers on, etc.”

“Looking on has always been my trade.”

“You heard the rehearsal of the masque, I believe, but you did not hear that charming Mona?”

“No; she had to take the part suddenly.  Her uncle had to tyrannize over her, to save the whole thing.”

“We are much indebted to him, and to her,” said Lord Rotherwood courteously.  “She looked as if she hated it all in the first scene, though she warmed up afterwards.  I must say I liked her the better for her shyness.”

“Her little brother thinks she recovered in consequence of his applause,” said Geraldine, smiling.

“Ah!  I saw him.  And heard.  A little square fellow-—very sturdy.”

“Yes, the Dutchman comes out in him, and he has droll similitudes, very curious in one who never saw his father, nor any but his Underwood relations.”

“So much the better for him perhaps; I have, and ought to have, great faith in uncles’ breeding.  I am glad to meet Sir Ferdinand Travis Underwood.  I have often come across him about London good works.”

“Yes, he is an excellent man.”

“Not wholly English is he, judging by the depth of colour in those eyes?”

“No; his mother was a Mexican, partly Indian.  We used to call him the Cacique;” and Geraldine had the pleasure of telling his story to an earnest listener, but interruption came in the shape of Sir Ferdinand himself who announced that he had hired a steam-yacht wherein to view the regatta, and begged Lord Rotherwood to join the party.

This was impossible, as the Marquis was due at an agricultural dinner at Clarebridge, but in return, in the openness of his heart, he invited the Travis Underwoods to their dinner that evening at the hotel, where the Merrifields and the Underwoods were already engaged, little boys and all.