ut
on dressing-gowns and come to her.

Soon Lord Tancred's two sisters entered the room.

They were nice, fresh English girls, and stood a good deal in awe of
their mother. They kissed her and sat down on the bed. They felt it was
a momentous moment, because Lady Tancred never saw any one until her
hair was arranged--not even her own daughters.

"Your brother Tristram is going to be married," she said and referred to
the letter lying on the coverlet, "to a Countess Shulski, a niece of
that Mr. Markrute whom one meets about."

"Oh! Mother!" and "Really!" gasped Emily and Mary.

"Have we seen her?"

"Do we know her?"

"No, I think we can none of us have seen her. She certainly was not with
Mr. Markrute at Cowes, and no one has been in town, except this last
week for Flora's wedding. I suppose Tristram must have met her in
Scotland, or possibly abroad. He went to Paris, you remember, at Easter,
and again in July."

"I wonder what she is like," said Emily.

"Is she young?" asked Mary.

"Tristram does not say," replied Lady Tancred, "only that she is
beautiful."

"We are so surprised," both girls gasped together.

"Yes, it is unexpected, certainly," agreed their mother, "but Tristram
has judgment; he is not likely to have chosen any one of whom I should
disapprove. You must be ready to call with me, directly after lunch.
Tristram is coming to breakfast, so you can have yours now--in your
room. I must talk to him."

And the girls, who were dying to ask a hundred thousand questions, felt
that they were dismissed, and, kissing their dignified parent, they
retired to their own large, back room, which they shared, in common
with all their pleasures and little griefs, together.

"Isn't it too wonderful, Em?" Mary said, when they were back there, both
curled up in the former's bed waiting for their breakfast. "One can see
Mother is very much moved; she was so stern. I thought Tristram was
devoted to Laura Highford, did not you?"

"Oh! he has been sick of that for ages and ages. She nags at him--she is
a cat anyway and I never could understand it, could you, Mary?"

"Men have to be like that," said Mary, wisely, "they must have some one,
I mean, to play with, and they are afraid of girls."

"How I hope she will like us, don't you?" Emily said. "Mr. Markrute is
very rich and perhaps she is, too. How lovely it will be if they are
able to live at Wrayth. How lovely to have it opened again--to go and
stay there!"