t should be
common; it's rather interesting, I think. Still I daresay it's true that
common people often do speak like that, when you come to think of it.
They've always got an aunt, or a cousin, or a friend's friend called
so-and-so, or living somewhere, if you mention a place.'

'I daresay they do,' said Margaret; but she seemed to be giving only
half her attention. 'Frances,' she went on, 'I wonder what would have
happened if you _had_ spoken of us? I wonder if Lady Myrtle would have
taken any notice?'

Frances stared.

'Of course she would!' she exclaimed. 'Do you mean to say she wouldn't
have taken any notice of hearing that her own grand-nieces were so near
her? Why, she'----But suddenly the actual state of the case struck her.
'Do you--does she _not_ know you're here?' she went on, raising her blue
eyes in bewilderment to Margaret's face. 'No, I suppose she doesn't, or
of course you would be asked to Robin Redbreast on holidays and all that
sort of thing.'

'No,' Margaret replied, 'she doesn't know anything about us. I'm not
even sure that she knows of our existence; anyway she has never heard
our names, or how many of us there are, and I can't believe she really
understands how--how very poor we are. For she is very, very rich, you
know, Frances, though she lives in that quiet way.'

'_Is_ she?' said Frances. 'I do wish I had spoken of you, whether it was
"common" or not.'

'She mightn't have thought that we were any relation,' said Margaret,
simply. 'Harper isn't a very particular name. And you see we're not very
near to the head of the family now. Lord Elvedon is only father's
cousin, and they never stay near here. Father and mother see them
sometimes in London, but they've got a very large family, and they're
not rich--not _extra_ rich themselves; for the one before this Lord
Elvedon, the one who was father's uncle, you see, was very extravagant,
though it was mostly his brother's fault--that was our grandfather. His
name was Bernard Harper, and'----

'It's awfully interesting,' said Frances, 'but I'm afraid I'm getting
rather muddled. Your _grandfather_--what was he, then, to Lady Myrtle?'

'I'll begin at the other end,' said Margaret; 'that will make it
plainer. There was a Lord Elvedon who had two sons and a daughter; the
daughter was Lady Myrtle. The sons were younger than the daughter, and
they were both extravagant. The elder one was a weaker character than
his brother, and quite led by him, a