Countess Kate

ued in the morning, with her heavy eyelids and inflamed eyes, and moved so meekly and sadly, without daring

ight, so we will say no more about it. I wil

never have forgotten the sight of a little girl in that frenzy of passion! No, she was sure that their mamma and papa knew all about it, and that she shoul

alk in the square instead of the park; and she was so good and steady with her lessons,

the light and hope of her life, were going to look in on her; and it had only brought the remembrance that he was gone for ever, and that in his stead there was only the poor little girl, to whom rank was a misfortune, and who seemed as if she would never wear it becomingly. Kate saw nothing of all this; she was only eager and envious for some chan

delaide's birthday was to be spent at the Crystal Palace at Sydenham; that the other girls were gone to the station with their mother, and that he had come round with Adelai

hand in an agony. Oh! w

de la Poer, bending his pleasant ey

! I never saw any exhibition at all, except onc

are very k

of afters on birth

perhaps Mrs. Lacy will kin

ould be very sorry to give Mrs. Lacy so much trouble. If this is to

cap without feeling that so it must be, even w

e more to be trusted

fashion, "if you think the Court of Chance

her mouth quite stiff, but she still said,

y, who is the wisest of us all, unfit to be trusted with this one young lady?" said he, lo

d have no fears," said the aunt. "But- However, since y

yes, Aunt

e la Poer. "Now, young woman, run off an

then, receiving no answer, pulled the bell violently; after which she turned round, and obliged

eathlessly said, as she released Adelaide;

oserpine

him back

would catch me like Eurydi

hinking about Orpheus and Eurydice!

r! your papa is a delicious man; I'd rather have

Kate; "but somehow, though he is more funny and good-natured than Uncle Wardour, I woul

en ought to be always pleasure and no trouble to busy fathers. But there

Why doesn't she come?" said K

ou get ready

very tiresome of her, when she knows I

s ourselves, except for the evening. Let

up to her, and noisily pulled out some drawers; but not seeing exactly what she wanted, she again betook herself to screams of her maid's name, at the third of which out burst Mrs. Bartley in a re

'm going out, Bartley," said Kat

making a piece of work," said Bart

Lady Jane's orders, pounced upon Lady Caergwent, and made her repent of all wishes for assistance by beginning upon her hair, and in spite of all wriggles and remonstrances, dressing her in the peculiarly slow and precise manner by which a maid can punish a troublesome child; until finally Kate-far too much irritated for a word of thanks, tore herself out of her hands, caught up her gloves, and flew down-stairs as if her life depended on her speed. She thought the delay much longe

subsided, and happiness began! It had not been

st lost the habit of merry chatter, and it did not come to her quickly again; but she was greatly entertained; and thus they

ecause the station was close and heated, and it was a very

city was clouded. She had a great dislike to a thunder-storm, and she insta

ny; "it would cool the air, and

imploring look asked Lady de la Poer

as the answer. "See how clear the sky

here will be one to

la Poer, smiling; "and there is n

such fun," cried Grace, "if we only

deal of laughing over which it should be that should undertake each language. Fanny and Mary were humble, and sure they could never catch the German; and Kate, more enterprising, undertook the Italian. After all, while they were chattering about it, they went past the valuable document, and were come in sight of the "monsters" in the Gardens; and Lord de la Poer asked Kate if she would like to c

their leisure, sat down, and studied all that they cared for, or divided according to their tastes. Fanny and Mary wanted time for the wonderful sculptures on the noble gates in the Ita

ions, and with the companionship of girls of her own age besides. She was most of all delighted with the Alhambra-the beauty of it was to her like a fairy tale; and she had read Washington Irving's "Siege of Granada," so that she could fancy the courts filled

n the conversation was considerably lessened by the discomfort of seeing some strangers looking

felt it hard that the torment about her voice should purs

akers at the last day, demanding to have souls given to them; but that her friends, the Moors of Spain, were much less strict than any others of their faith. She could see, however, that the carving of such figures was a new art with them, since these lions were very rude and clumsy performances for people who could make such delicate tracery as they had seen

it; but some people's eyes and ears are wonderfully quick at gathering what is to their own c

rown all the characters of the gods of the Northmen-Odin, Thor, and all-when she had just learnt them. So she was more careful than before not to pour out all the little that she knew; and she was glad she had not committed herself, for

er loop-hole. She avoided pedantry, but she was too much elated not to let her spirits get the better of her; and when Lady de la Poer and the elder

all the time! Kate was chattering fastest of all, and loudest-not to say the most nonsensically. It was not nice nonsense-that was the worst of it-it was pert and saucy. It was rather the family habit to laugh at Mary de la Poer for ways that were thought a little fanciful; and Kate caught this up,

ng to give his little friend a hint that she was making herself very silly; but Kate took it quite

a good deal excited by Kate; and who had been going o

," answered her mother gravely; "so

about her choice of an ice quite restored her liveliness. It is well to be good-humoured; but it is unlucky, nay, wrong, when a check from friends without authority to scold, does not suffice to bring soberness instea

e to play; but as they moved towards the great door, they perceived a dark heavy clou

nny; "it will be cool and pl

not imminent," b

. "Oh dear! I do so hate thunder! What shall I do?"

was a flash of bright white light befo

uck!" cried Adelaide, he

eep voice of the thunder was roaring and reverberating through the vaults, Lord de la Poer had her in his grasp, and the growl had not ceased before she was on her feet aga

before her eyes; and the inquiry was echoed by the nearer people, while

oer; "the lightning was twenty miles

answering "No," more decidedly. "Only

happen?" a

o get away from the thund

l the time of going home, when they would meet at the station. They must walk to the good lady's house, be the storm what it would, as the best chance of preventing Kate from catching cold. She looked a rueful spectacle, dripping so as to make a little pool on the stone floor; her hat and feather limp and streaming; her hair in long lank rats' tails, each discharging its own waterfall; her clothes, ribbons, and all, pasted down upon her! There was no time to be lost;

r tried to get the clothes off-a service of difficulty, when every tie held fast, every button was slippery, and the tighter garments fitted like skins. Kate was su

me hot tea, and moved away to the window, talking in a low murmuring voice to Lady de la Poer. Presently a fresh flash of lightning made her bury her head in the pillow; and there she began thinking how hard it was that the thunder should come to spoil her one day's pleasure; but soo

l stood talking. She must wait till this stranger was gone. And while sh