ve you do it on purpose--there!"

"Do what on purpose? What in the world do you mean?" cried Mrs. Leslie,
pausing, sugar-tongs in hand.

"You know what I mean!" exclaimed Kate, scarcely able to suppress a sob.

"I declare I do not. This is some fad about Doctor Brudenell, I
suppose," said the elder sister, resignedly. "Do me the favor to be
intelligible, at least, Kate. What is it that you mean?"

"Why did you advise him to advertise?" demanded Miss Merritt.

"Because it was the most sensible advice I could give him. Is that the
grievance? What objection have you to his advertising?"

"That I know very well what it will come to. He'll take your advice,
and advertise, and get some woman into his house who will pet the
children and coax and wheedle him until she gets completely round him,
and then we know what will happen," cried Kate, with her handkerchief
pressed to her eyes.

Mrs. Leslie looked at her, and had some difficulty in restraining a
laugh.

"Nonsense, child! Doctor Brudenell will no more fall in love with his
governess than he will with anybody else. For goodness' sake do try to
be more sensible. A nice opinion of you he would have if he could only
hear and see you now, I must say! I should be ashamed, if I were you,
to spend my time fretting and crying after a man who didn't care a pin
about me, like a love-sick school-girl. Dry your eyes and come to the
table. Whoever the poor man gets for a governess, I hope she may have
more common sense than you, I am sure. And the sooner he advertises for
her the better, if that unruly brood is to be here so soon."

"He would never have thought of advertising but for you," said Kate,
resentfully.

"Probably not!" retorted Mrs. Leslie, tartly. "But now he will do it,
and quickly, if he is sensible."

Mrs. Leslie was wrong. The Doctor did not advertise for a governess,
although when he left he was firmly resolved upon doing so. He drove
home quickly to his handsome house in Canonbury, and enjoyed an
excellent dinner by the bright fire in his comfortable dining-room,
with a renewed appreciation of the excellent Mrs. Jessop. Then he
summoned that lady in his presence, and with very little circumlocution
broke to her the news of the promised invasion and the suggested
panacea. Finding that Mrs. Jessop took the matter on the whole amiably,
he felt considerably relieved in mind, and began placidly to smoke his
pipe over the Times. The leading article was stupid, s