also to her sense of humour, that
she should feel that this new man-friend could straighten out all the
difficulties in the path. She waited patiently at her window until she
saw him walk around the corner of the house, under the cedars, and up
the twisting path, his head bent and bare, his hands in his pockets.
Then she flung her blue cape over her shoulders and followed him.

"Mr. Lavendar," she called, as she caught up with his slow step, "you
said you would advise me a little. Let us sit on this bench a moment
and find out how we can untangle all the knots into which Aunt de
Tracy tied us yesterday. I am so afraid of her that I am sure I spoke
timidly and respectfully to her at first; but perhaps I showed more
feeling at the end than I should. I am willing to apologize to her for
any lack of courtesy, but I don't see how I can retract anything I
said."

"It is hard for you," Lavendar replied, "because you have a natural
affection for your mother's old nurse; and Mrs. de Tracy, I begin to
believe, is more than indifferent to her. She has some active dislike,
perhaps, the source of which is unknown to us."

"But she is so unjust!" cried Robinette. "I never heard of an Irish
landlord in a novel who would practice such a piece of eviction. If I
must stand by and see it done, then I shall assert my right to provide
for Nurse and move her into a new dwelling. After you left the drawing
room last night, I begged as tactfully as I could that Aunt de Tracy
would sell me some of the jewels, so that she need not part with the
land at Wittisham. She was very angry, and wouldn't hear of it. Then I
proposed buying the plum-tree cottage, that it might be kept in the
family, and she was furious at my audacity. Perhaps the Admiral's
niece is _not_ in the family."

"She cannot endure anything like patronage, or even an assumption of
equality," said Lavendar. "You must be careful there."

"Should I be likely to patronize?" asked Robinette reproachfully.

"No; but your acquaintance with your aunt is a very brief one, and she
is an extraordinary character; hard to understand. You may easily
stumble on a prejudice of hers at every step."

"I shouldn't like to understand her any better than I do now," and
Robinette pushed back her hair rebelliously.

"Will you be my client for about five minutes?" asked Lavendar.

"Yes, willingly enough, for I see nothing before me but to take Nurse
Prettyman and depart in the first steamer for