is, where shall we
go?"

"That, I am sure, _you_ know best."

An interesting disquisition ensued. Miss Payne rejected Bournemouth,
Weymouth, Worthing, Brighton, and Folkestone, for what seemed to
Katherine sufficient reason, and finally recommended Sandbourne, a quiet
and little-known nook on the Dorsetshire coast, as being mild but not
relaxing, not too near nor too far from town, and possessing fine sands,
while the country round was less bare and flat than what usually lies
near the coast.

Finally the "friends in council" decided to go down and look at the
place. "For," observed Miss Payne, "if we are to go away the beginning
of next month, we have little more than a fortnight before us."

"By all means," cried Katherine, starting up. "Let us go to-morrow; we
might 'do' the place in a day, and come back the next. You are really a
dear, to fall into my views so readily."

"To-morrow? Oh! that's a little too fast; the day after, if you like.
Now I wish you would look at these cards; they have all been left for
you in the last few days."

Katherine took and looked over them with some running comments. "Mrs.
Tracy! I shall be quite glad to see them again; they were always so kind
and pleasant. Lady Mary Vincent! I did not think she would call so soon;
I think I must go and see her to-morrow. I rather like her niece, Lady
Alice Mordaunt; she is a nice, gentle girl. She is to be married very
soon to a man who interested me a good deal; such a thoughtful, clever
man, but rather provokingly composed and perfect--a sort of person who
never makes a mistake."

"He must be a remarkable person," said Miss Payne.

"He will soon be in Parliament, and has some of the qualities which make
a statesman, I imagine. I shall watch his progress." Here Katherine took
up a card, and while she read the inscription, "John Fitzstephen de
Burgh," a slight smile crept round her lips. "I had no idea _he_ was in
town, or that he would take the trouble of calling on me so soon. I
thought he was too utterly offended."

"Why?" asked Miss Payne, looking at her curiously.

"He is rather ill-tempered, I fancy, and he was vexed because I
preferred staying with Charlie to going out with him: he offered to
teach me how to drive; so I believe, like the rich young man in the
gospel, he went away in desperation."

"Hum! Is _he_ a rich young man?"

"He is not young, and I am not sure about his being rich. He has a
hunting-lodge and horses, yet