tly towards the three children, who at once
clustered round her to pour their woes into her ear. She bent down and
spoke to them lovingly, as it seemed, and finally quitted the room with
one child clinging round her neck, and the others hanging to her gown.
Percival gave vent to a sudden, impatient sigh.

"Miss Murray is fond of children," said Vivian, looking after her
pleasantly.

"And I am not," snapped Kitty, with something of her brother's love of
opposition in her tone. "I hate children."

"You! You are only a child yourself," said he, turning towards her with
a kindly look in his grave eyes, and an unwonted smile. But Kitty's
wrath was appeased by neither look nor smile.

"Then I had better join my compeers," she said, tartly. "I shall at
least get the benefit of Elizabeth's affection for children."

Vivian's chair was close to hers, and the tea-table partly hid them from
Percival's lynx eyes. Mrs. Heron was half asleep. So there was nothing
to hinder Mr. Rupert Vivian from putting out his hand and taking Kitty's
soft fingers for a moment soothingly in his own. He did not mean
anything but an elderly-brotherly, patronising sort of affection by it;
but Kitty was "thrilled through every nerve" by that tender pressure,
and sat mute as a mouse, while Vivian turned to her step-mother and
began to speak.

"I had some news this morning of my sister," he said. "You heard of the
sad termination to her engagement?"

"No; what was that?"

"She was to be married before Christmas to a Mr. Luttrell; but Mr.
Luttrell was killed a short time ago by a shot from his brother's gun
when they were out shooting together."

"How very sad!"

"The brother has gone--or is going--abroad; report says that he takes
the matter very much to heart. And Angela is going to live with Mrs.
Luttrell, the mother of these two men. I thought these details might be
interesting to you," said Vivian, looking round half-questioningly,
"because I understand that the Luttrells are related to your young
friend--or cousin--Miss Murray."

"Indeed? I never heard her mention the name," said Mrs. Heron.

Vivian thought of something that he had recently heard in connection
with Miss Murray and the Luttrell family, and wondered whether she knew
that if Brian Luttrell died unmarried she would succeed, to a great
Scotch estate. But he said nothing more.

"Where is Elizabeth?" said Percival, restlessly. "She is a great deal
too much with these children