y imaginative child."

"Thank you," he said, smiling.

"I believe I shall enjoy it as much as Rose," added Ermine, "both for
play and as a study. Please turn my chair a little this way, I want to
see the introduction to Violetta. Here comes the beauty, in Rose's own
cloak."

Colonel Keith leant over the back of her chair and silently watched, but
the scene was not quite what they expected. Violetta was sitting in
her "slantingdicular" position on her chair placed on a bench, and her
little mistress knelt down before her, took her in her arms, and began
to hug her.

"Violetta, darling, you need not be afraid! There is a new beautiful
creature come, and I shall call her Colinette, and we must be very kind
to her, because Colonel Keith is so good, and knows your grandpapa; and
to tell you a great secret, Violetta, that you must not tell Colinette
or anybody, I think he is Aunt Ermine's own true knight."

"Hush!" whispered the Colonel, over Ermine's head, as he perceived her
about to speak.

"So you must be very good to her, Violetta, and you shall help me make
her clothes; but you need not be afraid I ever could love any one half
or one quarter as much as you, my own dear child, not if she were ten
times as beautiful, and so come and show her to Augustus. She'll never
be like you, dear old darling."

"It is a study," said the Colonel, as Rose moved off with a doll in
either hand; "a moral that you should take home."

Ermine shook her head, but smiled, saying, "Tell me, does your young
cousin know--"

"Alick Keith! Not from me, and Lady Temple is perfectly to be trusted;
but I believe his father knew it was for no worse reason that I was made
to exchange. But never mind, Ermine, he is a very good fellow, and what
is the use of making a secret of what even Violetta knows?"

There was no debating the point, for her desire of secrecy was prompted
by the resolution to leave him unbound, whereas his wish for publicity
was with the purpose of binding himself, and Ermine was determined that
discussion was above all to be avoided, and that she would, after the
first explanation, keep the conversation upon other subjects. So she
only answered with another reproving look and smile, and said, "And
now I am going to make you useful. The editor of the 'Traveller' is
travelling, and has left his work to me. I have been keeping some
letters for him to answer in his own hand, because mine betrays
womanhood; but I have just hea