tting."

In another moment Aunt Katharine would have swept out of the room, with
her usual activity, but after waiting so long for a pause in the
conversation, Maisie could not give up her purpose.

"Do you want a cat, please?" she said, standing in front of Mrs
Broadbent--"that is, a nice little kitten. One of our cat Madam's."

But Mrs Broadbent was quite certain that she did not want a cat, and
said so with some sharpness, for she was never pleased at Miss Chester's
outspoken opinions, though she was used to them. She had too many cats
about the place now. She supposed as long as there were mice there must
be cats, but to her mind there was not much to choose between them.

"I don't really suppose it would have been a good home," said Maisie,
when she was tucked in again beside Dennis; "Mrs Broadbent doesn't like
cats, and she looked quite cross when I asked her, but I think that was
because Aunt Katharine didn't like Lilian's poker-work frame."

Haughton Park, towards which Jack and Jill were now quickly making their
way, was about four miles from Fieldside, and just outside the little
town of Upwell. It was a large house, standing in a park of some
extent, and was built in what was called the Italian style, with
terraces in front of it, and stone balustrades, and urns and vases
wherever they could be put. Inside, the rooms were very large and
lofty, and there was a great hall with marble pillars, and a huge
staircase with statues in niches all the way up. Perhaps from some
association with the sound of the name, Maisie always thought it was a
proud cold house, which could not stoop to notice any one who came in
and out of its doors, and did not mind whether they went or stayed.
Yet, from its very unlikeness to Fieldside, it had a certain fascination
for her, and she could not help admiring it.

Here, in lonely grandeur, lived Aunt Katharine's widowed sister, Mrs
Trevor, with her daughter Philippa, who was just ten years old. Mrs
Trevor had always wondered why her brother, Captain Chester, had not
sent Dennis and Maisie to Haughton to be educated with Philippa. Surely
nothing could have been more suitable or better for the children!

But by some extraordinary blindness, he had passed over his elder sister
and all her possessions, and chosen Katharine as their guardian until
his return from India. When he did return, thought Mrs Trevor, he would
see what a mistake he had made; even now, if he knew what