was much with him, as she was
staying up in town with an aunt, another Vavasor by birth, with whom
the reader will, if he persevere, become acquainted in course of
time. I hope he will persevere a little, for of all the Vavasors Mrs
Greenow was perhaps the best worth knowing. But Kate Vavasor's home
was understood to be in her grandfather's house in Westmoreland.

On the evening before they started for Switzerland, George and Kate
walked from Queen Anne Street, where they had been dining with Alice,
to Mrs Greenow's house. Everything had been settled about luggage,
hours of starting, and routes as regarded their few first days;
and the common purse had been made over to George. That portion of
Mr Grey's letter had been read which alluded to the Paynims and
the glasses of water, and everything had passed in the best of
good-humour. "I'll endeavour to get the cold water for you," George
had said; "but as to the breakfasts, I can only hope you won't put
me to severe trials by any very early hours. When people go out for
pleasure it should be pleasure."

The brother and sister walked through two or three streets in
silence, and then Kate asked a question.

"George, I wonder what your wishes really are about Alice?"

"That she shouldn't want her breakfast too early while we are away."

"That means that I'm to hold my tongue, of course."

"No, it doesn't."

"Then it means that you intend to hold yours."

"No; not that either."

"Then what does it mean?"

"That I have no fixed wishes on the subject. Of course she'll marry
this man John Grey, and then no one will hear another word about
her."

"She will no doubt, if you don't interfere. Probably she will whether
you interfere or not. But if you wish to interfere--"

"She's got four hundred a year, and is not so good-looking as she
was."

"Yes; she has got four hundred a year, and she is more handsome now
than ever she was. I know that you think so;--and that you love her
and love no one else--unless you have a sneaking fondness for me."

"I'll leave you to judge of that last."

"And as for me,--I only love two people in the world; her and you. If
ever you mean to try, you should try now."

CHAPTER V

The Balcony at Basle

I am not going to describe the Vavasors' Swiss tour. It would not be
fair on my readers. "Six Weeks in the Bernese Oberland, by party of
three," would have but very small chance of success in the literary
world at present, and