her four years' seniority, would perchance in the
eyes of the world be the more suitable wife; and he admires her
beauty, and thinks well of her dutifulness, her steadiness, and her
many virtues. Yet it is Kate that takes his fancy most, and if he
could hope to win the wayward fancy and the warm heart of our
second child, she is the one whom he would fain choose as his own.
He has spoken freely and frankly to me, and it comes to this: he
would willingly marry Cecilia, and doubtless make her an excellent
husband, and value the connection with the house of Trevlyn; but if
he could succeed in winning the love of our saucy Kate, he would
sooner have her than the more staid sister, only he fears his gray
hairs and his wrinkles will unfit him as a suitor for the child.
But we, who suspect her heart of turning towards him, have little
fear of this. Kate's sharp eyes have looked beneath the surface.
She has shown that she has a wise head upon her shoulders. So I
told Sir Robert--"

"Not that the child had loved him unbidden, I trust, my husband? I
would not have him think that!"

"Verily no, goodwife; but I told him there was no man living to
whom I would more gladly give a daughter of mine; and that I would
sound both of the maidens, and see how their hearts were set
towards him. But I trow he went away happy, thinking he might win
Kate after all. I could not but whisper a word of hope, and tell
him how wondrous tame the wild bird had latterly become, and how
that her mother had wondered whether thoughts of love had entered
into her head."

Lady Frances smiled, half shaking her head the while, yet not
entirely displeased even with such an admission as that. She had
been watching her daughter closely of late, and she had tried to
think as she wished to think; the consequence being that she had
reached a very decided conclusion in accordance with her desires,
and had small doubts as to the state of her daughter's heart.

"I verily believe the child's sadness has come from the fear that
her youth will stand as a bar to her happiness. She knows Sir
Robert is old enough to be her father, and fears that his
attentions are paid as to a child. Thus has she striven to grow
more wise, more womanly, more fit to be the mistress of his house.
Methinks I see it all. And what is the next thing to be done? Must
we speak with the child?"

"Ay, verily; for I have promised an answer to Sir Robert before
many days have passed. He is to co