t rose, and creamy
tint that sometimes accompanies vivid red hair--and of a vivid,
uncompromising red were the locks that crowned Miss Sarah's little
head, and shaded her blue-veined temples.

Miss Crewys had, in consequence, long ago pronounced her to be a
positive fright; and Lady Belstone had declared that such hair would
prove an insuperable obstacle to her chances of getting a husband.

"I know she's very young," said Mrs. Hewel, glancing apologetically
at her offspring. "But what can I do? There's no going against Lady
Tintern; and at seventeen she ought to be something more than a
tomboy, after all."

"_You_ were married at seventeen, weren't you?" said Sarah to Lady
Mary, in her deep, almost tragic voice--a voice that commanded
attention, though it came oddly from her girlish chest.

"Sarah!" said Mrs. Hewel.

Lady Mary started and smiled. "Me? Yes, Sarah; I was married at
seventeen."

"Mamma says nobody can be married properly--before they're one and
twenty. I _knew_ it was rot," said Sarah, triumphantly.

"Miss Sarah retains the outspokenness of her recently discarded
childhood, I perceive," said Sir Timothy, stiffly.

"Sarah!" said her mother, indignantly, "I said not unless they had
their parents' consent. I was not thinking of Lady Mary, as you know
very well."

"_Your_ people didn't say you were too young to marry at seventeen,
did they?" said Sarah, caressing Lady Mary's hand.

Lady Mary smiled at her, but shook her head. "You want to know too
much, Sarah."

"Oh, I forgot," said Sarah the artless. "Sir Timothy was your
guardian, so, of course, there was nobody to stop his marrying you if
he liked. I suppose you _had_ to do what he told you."

"Oh, Sarah, will you cease chattering?" cried her mother.

"I hope you have good news of your sons in South Africa, Mrs. Hewel,"
said the canon, briskly advancing to the rescue.

Mrs. Hewel's voice changed. "Thank you, canon; they were all right
when we heard last. Tom is in Natal, so I feel happier about him;
but Willie, of course, is in the thick of it all--and the news
to-day--isn't reassuring."

"But you are proud of them both," said Lady Mary, softly. "Every
mother must be proud to have sons able and willing to fight for their
country."

"We may feel differently concerning the justice of this war," said Sir
Timothy, clearing his throat; and Lady Mary shrugged her shoulders,
whilst the canon jumped from his chair, and sat meekly down again o