means. You had better act as you think best about that. But
you will not object to my nephew, her old pupil, Mark, coming to see
her? I will make him promise not to enter upon the subject.'

Miss Headworth had only time to make a sign of reluctant acquiescence
when the door opened and mother and daughter came in. Nuttie first,
eager as usual and open-mouthed, unaware that any one was there, for
Lady Kirkaldy, wishing to avoid talk and observation, had left her
carriage at the livery stables, and walked to St. Ambrose Road. The
girl, whom in a moment she classed as small, dark, and oddly like May
Egremont, stopped short at sight of a stranger; the mother would have
retreated but for Miss Headworth's nervous call 'Alice, my dear, here
is Lady Kirkaldy.'

Very lovely was Lady Kirkaldy's impression as she saw a slender figure
in a dark gray linen dress, and a face of refined, though not
intellectual, beauty and sweetness, under a large straw hat with a good
deal of white gauziness about it, and the curtsey was full of natural
grace.

'You do not know me,' said Lady Kirkaldy, taking her hand, 'but I am
aunt to some former pupils of yours, one of whom, Mark Egremont, is
very anxious to come and see you.'

'Mark! My dear little Mark,' and her face lighted up. 'How very kind
of him. But he is not little Mark now.'

'He is not a very big Mark either. Most of the Egremonts are small. I
see your daughter takes after them,' said Lady Kirkaldy, shaking hands
with Ursula, who looked at her in unmitigated amazement.

Alice faltered something about Lady Adelaide.

'My dear sister fell into a decline, and died while the three children
were still babies. Poor things, I believe they had a sad time till
their father married a Miss Condamine, who has been an excellent
stepmother to them. I have been to see them, but Mark was not then at
home, so he has come to me at Monks Horton. When will he find you at
home? Or may I bring him in at once. He was to meet me at
Micklethwayte.'

'I should like very much to see him,' was the answer. And Miss
Headworth was obliged to say something about her ladyship taking a cup
of tea. Lady Kirkaldy, knowing that Mark was on the watch, set off in
search of him, and found him, as she expected, pacing the pavement in
front of the church. There was no great distance in which to utter her
explanations and cautions, warning him of her promise that the
intelligence of the husband's being