is just what they always do when they want a
supposititious heir.'

'Ida, how can you say such things?'

'But it is, Conny! There was the wicked Sir Ronald Macronald. He took
his wife away to Belgrade, right in the Ukraine mountains, and it--'

'Belgrade is in Hungary, and the Cossacks live in the Ukraine in Russia,'
suggested Constance.

'Oh, never mind your school-girl geography, it was Bel something, an
out-of-the-way place in the mountains anyway, and there he pretended she
had a child, just out of malice to the right heiress, that lovely Lilian,
and he got killed by a stag, and then she confessed on her death-bed. I
declare it is just like--'

'My dear, don't talk in that way, your sister is quite shocked. Your
uncle never would--'

'Bless me, ma, I was only in fun. I could tell you ever so many stories
like that. There's Broughton's, on the table there. I knew from the
first it was an impostor, and the old nurse dressed like a nun was his
mother.'

'I believe you always know the end before you are half through the first
volume,' said her mother admiringly; 'but of course it is all right, only
it is a terrible disappointment and misfortune for us, and not to be
looked for after all these years.'

The last three Christmastides had been spent at Northmoor, where it had
been needful to conform to the habits of the household, which impressed
Ida and her mother as grand and conferring distinction, but decidedly
dull and religious.

So as they were at Westhaven, perforce, they would make up for it,
Christmas Eve was spent in a tumult of preparation for the diversions of
the next day. Mrs. Morton had two maids now, but to her they were still
'gals,' not to be trusted with the more delicate cookeries, and Ida was
fully engaged in the adornment of the room and herself, while Constance
ran about and helped both, and got more thanks from her mother than her
sister.

Ida was to end the day with a dance at a friend's house, but she was not
desirous of taking Constance with her, having been accustomed to treat
her as a mere child, and Constance, though not devoid of a wish for
amusement, knew that her uncle and aunt would have taken her to church,
where she would have enjoyed the festal service.

Her mother would not let her go out in the dark alone, and was too tired
to go with her, so she had to stay at home, while Herbert disported
himself elsewhere, and Constance underwent another cross-examination ove