want you to be
nice to him, and amuse him, and take his attention off me, like a pet,
Evangeline," she cooed; and then: "What a lovely afternoon for November! I
wish I could go for a walk in the park," she said.

I felt it would be cruel to tease her further, and so announced my
intention of taking exercise in that way with the angels.

"Yes, it will do you good, dear child," she said, brightly, "and I will
rest here and take care of my cold."

"They have asked me to tea in the nursery," I said, "and I have accepted."

"Jewel of a snake-girl!" she laughed--she is not thick.

"Do you know the Torquilstone history?" she said, just as I was going out
of the door.

I came back--why, I can't imagine, but it interested me.

"Robert's brother--half-brother, I mean--the duke, is a cripple, you know,
and he is _toque_ on one point too--their blue blood. He will never marry,
but he can cut Robert off with almost the bare title if he displeases
him."

"Yes," I said.

"Torquilstone's mother was one of the housemaids. The old duke married her
before he was twenty-one, and she, fortunately, joined her beery ancestors
a year or so afterwards; and then much later he married Robert's mother,
Lady Etheldrida Fitz Walter. There is sixteen years between them--Robert
and Torquilstone, I mean."

"Then what is he _toque_ about blue blood for, with a _tache_ like that?"
I asked.

"That is just it. He thinks it is such a disgrace that even if he were
not a humpback he says he would never marry to transmit this stain to the
future Torquilstones--and if Robert ever marries any one without a
pedigree enough to satisfy an Austrian prince, he will disown him and
leave every sou to charity."

"Poor Lord Robert!" I said, but I felt my cheeks burn.

"Yes, is it not tiresome for him? So, of course, he cannot marry until his
brother's death, there is almost no one in England suitable."

"It is not so bad, after all," I said; "there is always the delicious role
of the 'married woman's pet,' open to him, isn't there?" and I laughed.

"Little cat!" but she wasn't angry.

"I told you I only scratched when I was scratched first," I said, as I
went out of the room.

The angels had started for their walk, and Veronique had to come with me
at first to find them. We were walking fast down the path beyond Stanhope
Gate, seeing their blue velvet pelisses in the distance, when we met Mr.
Carruthers.

He stopped and turned with me.

"Evangel