o
propitiate Hugo by a pleading look. She did not like him to go away with
such a cross look upon his face--that was all. But as she did not say
that she would be pleased to see him, Hugo only sulked the more.

"How cross he looks! I am rather glad he is not coming in," said Kitty,
confidentially, as Hugo walked away, and she escorted Rupert up the long
and winding drive. "And where did you come from? I did not know that you
were near us."

"I have been staying at Lord Cecil's, thirty miles from Dunmuir. I
thought that I should like to call, as you were still in this
neighbourhood. I wrote to Mrs. Heron about it. I hope she received my
note?"

"I see you don't know the family news," said Kitty, with a beaming
smile. "I have a new stepsister, just three weeks old, and Isabel is
already far too much occupied with the higher education of women to
attend to such trifles as notes. She generally hands them over to
Elizabeth or papa. Then, you know, papa broke one of his ribs and his
collar-bone a fortnight ago, and I expect that this accident will keep
us at Strathleckie for another month or two."

"That accounts for you being here so late in the year."

"Or so early! This is January, not December. But I think we may stay
until the spring. It is not worth while to take a London house now."

Kitty spoke so dolefully that Rupert was obliged to smile. "You are
sorry for that?" he said.

"Yes. We are all rather dull; we want something to enliven us. I hope
you will enliven us, Mr. Vivian."

"I am afraid I can hardly hope to do so," said Rupert, coldly. "Of
course, you have not the occupation that you used to have when you were
in London."

"When I went to school! No, I should think not," said Kitty, with her
giddiest laugh. "I have locked up my lesson books and thrown away the
key. So you must not lecture me on my studies as you used to do, Mr.
Vivian."

"I should not presume to do so," he said, with rather unnecessary
stiffness.

"But you used to do it! Have you forgotten?" asked Kitty, peeping up at
him archly from under her long, curling eyelashes. There was a momentary
smile upon his lips, but it disappeared as he answered quietly:--

"What was allowable when you were a child, would justly be resented by
you now, Miss Heron."

"I should not resent it; indeed I should not mind," said Kitty, eagerly.
"I should like it: I always like being lectured, and told what I ought
to do. I should be glad if you would sco