lestone himself in petticoats, and who arranged every
detail of housekeeping. The young girl had apparently only to exist and
to be happy.

Yet the latter item was not so easy as it might seem. It was not a
congenial atmosphere. Her whole society consisted of the stern,
unemotional merchant and his vulgar, occasionally brutal, son.
At first, while the memory of her father was still fresh, she felt her
new surroundings acutely, contrasting, as they did, with her happy
Fulham home. Gradually, however, as time deadened the sting, she came
to accommodate herself to circumstances. The two men left her very much
to her own devices. Girdlestone was so engrossed in his business that
he had little time to inquire into her pursuits, and Ezra, being
addicted to late hours, was seldom seen except at breakfast-time, when
she listened with awe to his sporting slang and cynical comments upon
men and manners.

John Girdlestone had been by no means overjoyed upon the return of the
Dimsdales from Edinburgh to learn that his ward had been thrown into the
company of her young cousin. He received her coldly and forbade her to
visit Phillimore Gardens for some time to come. He took occasion also
to speak of Tom, and to assure her that he had received very serious
accounts as to his spiritual state. "He is addicted to all manner of
debasing pursuits," he remarked, "and it is my particular wish that you
should avoid him." Learning that young Dimsdale was in London, he even
took the precaution of telling off a confidential footman to walk behind
her on all occasions, and to act either as an escort or as a sentry.

It chanced, however, that one day, a few weeks after her return, Kate
found an opportunity of recovering her freedom. The footman had been
despatched upon some other duty, so she bethought herself that a book
was to be bought and some lace to be matched, and several other
important feminine duties to be fulfilled. It happened, however, that
as she walked sedately down Warwick Street, her eyes fell upon a very
tall and square-shouldered young man, who was lounging in her direction,
tapping his stick listlessly against the railings, as is the habit of
idle men. At this Kate forgot incontinently all about the book and the
lace, while the tall youth ceased to tap the railings, and came striding
towards her with long springy footsteps and a smiling face.

"Why Cousin Tom, who would have thought of meeting you here?" she
ex