e, and was
greatly surprised when Lady Adela called on Saturday to take her to
Northmoor for the Sunday.

'Now tell me about your uncle and aunt,' the good lady began, when
Constance was seated beside her. 'Yes, I have heard from Mrs. Bury, but
I want to know whether the place is tolerably comfortable.'

'Mrs. Bury has made it much better,' said Constance. 'And it is so
beautiful, no one would care for comfort who was quite well.'

'And is your uncle well? Has he got over his headaches?' she asked
solicitously.

In fact, the absence of Lord and Lady Northmoor had done more than their
presence to make Lady Adela feel their value. She was astonished to find
how much she missed the power of referring to him and leaning on his
support in all questions, small or great, that cropped up; and she had
begun to feel that the stick might be a staff; besides which, having
imbibed more than an inkling of the cause of detention, she was anxious
to gather what she could of the circumstances.

She was agreeably surprised in Constance, to whom the journey had been a
time of development from the mere school girl, and who could talk
pleasantly, showing plenty of intelligence and observation in a modest
ladylike way. Moreover, she had a game in the garden which little Amice
enjoyed extremely, and she and her little Sunday class were delighted to
see one another again. It resulted in her Sundays being spent at
Northmoor as regularly as before, and in Amice, a companionless child,
thinking Saturday brought the white afternoon of the week.

CHAPTER XXI
THE HEIR-APPARENT

'MY DEAR ADDIE,

'You have no doubt ceased from your exertions in the way of finding
nurses, since the telegram has told you that the son and heir has
considerately saved trouble and expense by making his appearance on
Michaelmas morning. It was before there was time to fetch anybody
but the ancient village Bettina. Everything is most prosperous, and
I am almost as proud as the parents--and to see them gloat over the
morsel is a caution. They look at him as if such a being had never
been known on the earth before; and he really is a very fine healthy
creature, most ridiculously like the portrait of the original old
Michael Morton Northmoor in the full-bottomed wig. He seems to be
almost equally marvellous to the Ratzes population, being the first
infant seen there unswaddled--or washed. Bettina's