marry?"

"A Miss Vicars," replied her husband. "Good family. A screaming beauty too.
Other two boys look like her."

But the lady had now, it seemed, no interest in the other two boys. The
Seraph was deposed from his place on the divan to make room for me; and the
lady begged me to give her a kiss, just for old times' sake. Yet, somehow,
I did not quite like it, for I felt that she was making fun of my father,
the hero of my dreams.

Meanwhile, the other children, unchided, were making things lively in their
own way. Mops and the boys were eating dates from a bowl and pelting each
other with the stones, while a new member of the family, a seemingly
sexless being in a blue sash and shoulder knots, called "Baby," galloped up
and down the room with a battledore and shuttlecock.

VII

No servant announced her name. I felt no warning tremor of solid Earth
beneath my feet. Yet there she was, in full equipment of bombazine dress,
hard black bonnet, reticule, and umbrella, gripped like an avenging sword.
Oh, that some merciful cloud might have swept us, like fair Iphigenia to
the abode of the gods, and left three soft-eyed hinds in our stead!

Yet, there we were, gazing at her, spellbound: and presently she enunciated
with awful distinctness:

"I am come to apologize for the intrusion of my wards upon your privacy,
and to remove them instantly."

"Oh, bless you," said the lady in pink, cheerily, "three or four more don't
matter to us. Won't you sit down? And children--please let the lady's
things be, d'you hear?" for these intrepid children had gathered around
Mrs. Handsomebody as though she were a dancing bear; and "Baby" had even
pulled her umbrella from her hand substituting for it the battledore which
Mrs. Handsomebody unconsciously held, with an effect of ferocious
playfulness.

"I thank you," replied Mrs. Handsomebody. "I shall remain standing."

"Let me make you acquainted with my husband," pursued the lady, "he's Lord
Simon de Lacey, second son of the Duke of Aberfalden. Please excuse him
smokin'!"

The effect of these simple words on Mrs. Handsomebody was startling. She
brandished the battledore as though to ward off the approaching Lord Simon,
and repeated in a trembling voice:

"Lord Simon de Lacey--Duke of Aberfalden. Surely there is some mistake."

"I'm afraid not," said Lord Simon, shaking her hand. "In me you behold the
traditional, impecunious younger son, and--"

"But it will not always be s