endously! And
it's all so unexpected. Of course you know, Miss Bride, that I had
never heard of Lady Ogram until a few days ago?"

"Yes, I have heard the story."

"Do let us get our hats and run out. I want to see everything."

They went into the garden, and May, whilst delighting in all she saw,
asked a multitude of questions about her great-aunt. It was only in the
intellectual domain that she evinced pretentiousness and grew
grandiloquent; talking of her private affairs, she was very direct and
simple, with no inclination to unhealthy ways of thought. She spoke of
her birth in Canada, and her childish recollections of that country.

"I used to be rather sorry that we had come back to England, for the
truth is I don't much care for Northampton, and I have never been quite
comfortable with my relatives there. But now, of course, everything is
different. It seems a great pity that I should have had such a relative
as Lady Ogram and known nothing about it doesn't it? Strange how the
branches of a family lose sight of each other? Can you tell me Lady
Ogram's age?"

Constance replied that it was not far from eighty.

"Really, I should have taken her for older still. She seems very nice;
I think I shall like her. I wonder whether she will ask me often to
Rivenoak? Do you know whether she means to?"

When she came down after dressing for dinner, Constance found Miss
Tomalin in the dining-room, standing before her great-aunt's portrait.

"Surely that isn't--_can_ that be Lady Ogram?" exclaimed the girl.

"Yes; more than fifty years ago."

"Do you know, I think she was rather like _me_!"

Constance smiled, and said that there was certainly a family
resemblance. It appeared more strongly in the girl's face attired as
she now was, her neck at liberty from the white linen collar, and her
features cast into relief by a dress of dark material. Having felt a
little apprehensive about the young lady's evening garb, Constance was
surprised to find that it erred, if anything, on the side of
simplicity. Though, for several reasons, not at all predisposed to like
Miss Tomalin, she began to feel her prejudice waning, and by the end of
dinner they were conversing in a very friendly tone. May chatted of her
friends at Northampton, and several times mentioned a Mr. Yabsley, whom
it was evident she held in much esteem. Mr. Yabsley, it appeared, was
the originator of the society for civilising the ignorant poor; Mr.
Yabsley lectur