bert has the larger heart. They love each other well, and
are willing to befriend all who have claims of kindred. For the
rest, they live much secluded from the world, and think that the
times are sadly changed for the worse since the days when they were
young."

"And what think they of me?" asked Kate, with natural girlish self
consciousness.

Petronella repeated her arch glance.

"To me they say that thou art a wilful maid who needest watching
and stern guarding. They shake their heads at such loose marriage,
and tell me to take warning and not fall into like folly and sin
through overmuch love of my own way. But I heard them talking
together of thee when they forgot that I was by; and then there was
something different in their words, and I could scarce forbear to
smile."

"What said they then?" asked Kate eagerly.

"My Lady Humbert, she said that Lord Andover was a good man and
stanch, and that all spoke well of his son. They added that if thou
wouldst one day be Countess of Andover, they would gladly think
that thou wouldst worthily fill that place. Aunt Dowsabel asked if
thou hadst made a good beginning in this hasty marriage or troth
plight of thine; whereat Lady Humbert gave a laugh, and said she
was glad that thou hadst had the spirit of thy ancestors in thee,
and that for her part, if you were both true and stanch in your
love, she saw small harm in letting love have the mastery over
prudence. And then it turned out, as I learned from their talk,
that she herself had run away to be married when she was a girl,
and that she had never for one hour repented the act. So she
plainly felt that thou wast her own kinswoman in all faith; and
although she may speak to thee with stern rebuke, thou mayest know
in thy heart that she thinks kindly of thee, and that she will
stand thy friend with thy father, and make the peace with thy
mother if she may."

Kate's face flushed happily.

"Nay, now, that is good hearing! Why did we not know these good
aunts before? I can go before them with a light heart now. I repent
me of nothing save that I displeased my parents, and hid the matter
from them all this while. I trow I shall never repent that I let
Culverhouse persuade me to plight my troth to him."

Kate was glad of the assurance Petronella's words had given her
when she was presently summoned before her relatives, and stood in
the dim panelled room before their straight-backed chairs, feeling
the stern eyes of La