nt entered to
say that Lord De Burgh would be glad to speak to her, as he had a
message from Mrs. Needham.

"How strange!" murmured Katherine, adding aloud, "Then show him in."

"I have just met Mrs. Needham, and she told me to give you this," said
De Burgh, handing a card to Katherine as soon as she had shaken hands
with him. It was one of her own cards, and on the back was scribbled,

"Don't mind the notes."

"How extraordinary!" cried Katherine. "I thought they were of the last
importance. What did she say to you? you must have met her directly she
went out!"

"I think I did. I was coming through the narrow part of Kensington, and
was stopped by a block; just caught sight of your chief, and jumped out
of my cab to have a word with her. She told me I should find you, and
gave me that." De Burgh went on: "So this is the tremendous laboratory
where Mrs. Needham forges her thunderbolts," looking round with some
curiosity.

"And where _I_ forge _my_ thunderbolts, said Katherine, laughing.

"Thunderbolts!" echoed De Burgh, looking keenly at her. "No! where you
launch the lightning that either withers or kindles life-giving flames."

"Really, Lord De Burgh, you are positively poetical! I never dreamed of
your developing this faculty when you tried to teach me how to drive at
Castleford."

"No! it did not exist then--now I want to tell you of the cause of its
growth, you have silenced me often enough. To-day I will speak,
Katherine."

"If you please, 'm--there's twopence to pay," said the demure Ford,
advancing with a letter.

Half amused and partly relieved by the interruption, Katherine sought
for and produced the requisite coin, and then took the letter with a
look of some anxiety.

"It is my own writing," she said, "it is one of the envelopes I left
with Cis." Opening it and glancing at the contents her color rose, and
her bosom heaved. "Oh! do look at this," she cried.

De Burgh rose and read over her shoulder.

"DEAR AUNTIE,

"I hope you are quite well. We have had a dreadful row! Charlie could
not say his lesson, so Mr. Sells roared at him like a bull. Charlie got
into one of his fits, you know, and then he burst out laughing. Mr.
Sells went into such a rage; he laid hold of him and whipped him all
over, and I ran to break the cane. I hit his nose with my head so hard
that the blood came. I was glad to see the blood; then they locked us
both up. I have no stamp. Do come and take us away, do do