ar, be reasonable. Patricia's temper isn't a temper at all.
It's--it's a possession--a wretched family inheritance. She can't help
it, poor child, any more than she could help a squint or a crooked
nose, and she doesn't inherit it from _your_ mother but only from your
step-father, so why on earth you should imagine it likely to crop up
in our family I can't conceive. It's absurd."

He tilted her pretty face up to his again and kissed her. Nevil would
like to have killed all his wife's cares with a caress. It is not
always a successful method, but it is more efficacious than the world
believes.

"Of course I know all that, though Patricia always seems quite like my
own sister. I do hope Christopher won't tease her."

"Aymer will see to that."

"Not unless he is reminded. You know he rather loves teasing the poor
darling himself."

"Here is the poor darling, herself. Storm over, I suppose, sky
serene."

The little girl coming down the path to them was barely twelve, but
she looked older. The features were too set, if anything, too regular
for her to be called pretty as yet, but an observer must have been
very blind to beauty not to see the possibilities shadowed in her
face. She had quantities of smooth gold hair, one plait of which, for
convenience's sake, was twisted round her little head that was at
present too small for its rich burden. Her great dark grey eyes and
long lashes had a curiously expectant look as if ever on the watch for
some joy or pain to come. In the clearness of her complexion and the
good modelling of her little white hands, she did resemble her
half-sister, but it was the only likeness between them. She came to
them not running, as a child should, but slowly and deliberately.

"Patricia, do come and hear what this dreadful Nevil has let Charlotte
do," cried Renata, still under shelter of her husband's long arm. For
some reason she seemed anxious to let the child know she was seen and
wanted. Nevil smiled and made room on the seat for her to sit by his
side.

Patricia stood in front of them, her great pathetic eyes looking from
one to the other. She finally addressed herself to Nevil.

"I'm ever so sorry, Nevil," she said with a dejected sigh.

"Of course, of course, it's all right, child," he answered hastily,
"come and hear my short-comings. I'm in deep disgrace."

She sat down obediently and the dachshund immediately shifted its
quarters and wedged itself in between her feet. She le