r alone
with him, at his aunt's house in London, for a short time, and added
something about calling. She gave one of her bewitching smiles, and they
rode on.

There at least she was prized! How unlike this to the treatment she met
with from her own family! If she could not love the Earl, she could do
very well without that nonsense; and she should escape from her unloving
home, begin a new life, reign queen o'er herself and him, idolized,
uncontradicted, with ample opportunities of usefulness, triumphant over
him who had disdained her.

So she mused while taking off her bonnet, till Sarah brought a message
that Mrs. Martindale would be glad to see her. An hour ago and she would
have rejoiced; now, Arthur's household was becoming a secondary object,
since they had rejected her, and driven her to seek fresh interests.

She was received with hands outstretched. 'Dear Theodora, thank you.
Will you stay and take care of baby and me while nurse goes to supper?'

'If I may.'

'Thank you. Nurse, pray give baby to Miss Martindale. You need not
hurry; I shall be so comfortable.'

The sweet pale face and languid eyes were as a charm to expel all but
kindly thoughts, as Theodora sat down with the living weight warm on
her lap, and the gentle mother at intervals softly asking about her boy.
'Poor little man, they would not let him come in: they kept away both
the people I wanted.'

'Arthur guards you most jealously.'

'Yes, is not he a wonderful nurse? I had to exercise a little self-will
in getting you here. How good we must be to make him forgive us!'

Next. 'You cannot think what a difference it makes to have you here. I
never need think about Arthur's being made comfortable.'

Theodora's sincerity longed for confession, and she refrained with
difficulty. Those unconscious words set her vile temper before her in
its true light. She had resented the being treated with consideration,
and had been moody towards her brother, because he was under anxiety!

Self-convicted, she gave a deep sigh; but fearing again to distress
Violet, began to admire the baby, who was in truth a remarkably large
and handsome child, very dark and like the Martindales, and, both in
size and serenity, such a contrast to her brother, that, proud as
she was of her, her mamma only half liked praise of her that might be
depreciation of him, and began to defend him from the charge of crying
before he had had strength for it.

Her name, of course,