a window
which commanded an extensive view. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Heron had come
downstairs. Kitty had breakfasted in her own room; Elizabeth was busy.
Mr. Vivian was wondering whether it might not be as well to go back to
London. It vexed him to see little Kitty Heron flirting with
half-a-dozen men at once.

A voice at the door caused him to turn round. Kitty was entering, and as
her hands were full, she had some difficulty in turning the handle.
Rupert moved forward to assist her, and uttered a courteous
good-morning, but Kitty only looked at him with flushed cheeks and
wide-open resentful eyes, and made no answer.

She was wearing an embroidered apron over her dark morning frock, and
this apron, gathered up by the corners in her hands, was full of various
articles which Rupert could not see. He was thoroughly taken aback,
therefore, when she poured its contents in an indiscriminate heap upon
the sofa, and said, in a decided tone:--

"There are all the things you ever gave me; and I would rather not keep
them any longer. I take presents only from my friends."

Foolish Kitty!

CHAPTER XLI.

KITTY'S FRIENDS.

"How have I had the misfortune to offend you?" said Rupert, in a voice
from which he could not banish irony as completely as he would have
liked to do.

"You said so yourself," replied Kitty, facing him with the dignity of a
small princess. "You said that you were not my friend now."

"When did I make that statement?" said Rupert, lifting his eyebrows.

"Last night. And I knew it. You are not kind as you used to be. It does
not matter to me at all; only I felt that I did not like to keep these
things--and I brought them back."

"And what am I to do with them?" said Rupert, approaching the sofa and
looking at the untidy little heap. He gave a subdued laugh, which
offended Kitty dreadfully.

"I don't see anything to laugh at," she said.

"Neither do I." But the smile still trembled on his finely-cut mouth.
"What did you mean me to do with these things?" he asked. "These are
trifles: why don't you throw them into the fire if you don't value
them?"

"They are not all trifles; and I did value them before you came to see
us this time," said Kitty, with a lugubriousness which ought to have
convinced him of her sincerity. "There are some bangles, and a cup and
saucer, and two books; and there is the chain that you sent me by Mr.
Luttrell in the autumn."

"Ah, that chain," said Vivian, and then h