by the knowledge that Lord De Cressy would weigh and cavil at her words, ever thinking that she had revealed too much. One afternoon, when the door had closed on the last of a succession of visitors, he impatiently rang to desire that the carriage might come round without delay, and then he turned to Kathleen. "There really was no occasion to enter into all particulars of your relations with the Irvines." “What could I have said, Lionel? Mrs. Wilbraham asked if I knew Dalross, and then it appeared that she was acquainted with all that part of Ayrshire." "Really, Kathleen, it is impossible for me to invent replies to suit every occasion that may arise, but there was nothing in the question to involve your admission that you were governess to Mrs. Irvine's children. And if you will make such indiscreet revelations, you should carry them off coolly, instead of colouring and hesitating." Adelaide Wilmot was right: Kathleen's high spirit was still untutored in habits of submissive gentleness, and she answered, petulantly, "I am not ashamed to tell the whole truth, Lionel, though consideration for you kept me silent for a moment. But I thought that you would suffer less from false shame when there was nothing farther to conceal, and so I think still." Lord De Cressy never argued a point of difference with Kathleen, though she could have endured contradiction more easily than his cool, contemptuous manner of setting the subject aside, as though she had been a spoiled child, incapable of reasoning. Now he merely reminded her that the ponies ought not to be kept standing in the cold, and Kathleen left the room, in compliance with the hint, to put on her bonnet, dashing aside the blinding tears as she sprang up the stairs, but not able so easily to subdue the angry and agitated feelings with which her heart was swelling. It was not the first time that Lord De Cressy's anxiety to throw the circumstances of his young wife's former life into convenient obscurity had awoke the instinct of opposition, and she was already deeply wounded by his evident determination to detach her from her own connexions. She was aware that this had been his motive for desiring that their marriage should take place from Lowndes-square, instead of from her sister's house, and nothing but the representations of Agnes herself would have induced her to acquiesce in this arrange ment. And when the invitation to Mr. De Cressy was made and accepted, the visit of the young Lisles must still be indefinitely deferred. Lord De Cressy said that it would annoy his uncle to have children in the house, and that the children themselves would derive greater benefit from the change when the days were longer. Kathleen was more keenly sensitive to such indications of false shame, because the very strength of her affection exacted a full return and the same measure of confiding tenderness which she was ready to pay. Though her spirit was high, and quickly roused, her anger was never of long duration; and she came down for her drive looking unhappy and subdued, and quite ready to confess herself in the wrong. Lord De Cressy had no desire to revert to a disagreeable subject. Although Kathleen had disclaimed his advice, he was tolerably confident that it would make her more discreet for the future, and he disliked the idea of a scene and a reconciliation. So he talked studiously of indifferent matters, without appearing to discover that Kathleen's voice was tremulous, and her attention forced. "The Wilbrahams are rather agreeable people," he observed. "They are an old county family; and though they have not been much in London, they have enough of savoir faire to suit my uncle. I think we must ask them to dinner, to entertain him." Kathleen assented, though she was alarmed by this prospect of a dinner; and Mrs. Wilbraham's association with their late difference would have inclined her to prefer any other guest. "I do not know who else we can have," continued Lord De Cressy; "my uncle is so excessively fastidious. It will be almost impossible to collect a party, for people are so much engaged at home at Christmas. There is Lady Harriet but I suppose that she is to meet the Enmores, at Merrick Lodge; and besides, she and my uncle are not congenial spirits." "No, I think not," said Kathleen. They drove on for some way in silence before she ventured to express her thoughts. "It will be pleasant to have our Christmas in England again; yet I should like it better if we were to be alone, should not you, Lionel?" "I dare say that it would be pleasant in its way," replied Lord De Cressy; "but while this flood of morning visitors continues, we could not, at any rate, enjoy seclusion, and Christmas-tide is naturally associated with family gatherings. We must certainly cast about for other guests; they amuse one another, and so relieve us from responsibility. Yet you need not work yourself into a tremor about my uncle; although he may say a sharp thing occasionally, he is essentially kindhearted, and I have no doubt that you will get on well together." If Kathleen did not share his confidence, she kept her doubts to herself; but she anticipated the arrival of their guest with increasing distaste as the day approached. Lord De Cressy's repeated assurances that she might be perfectly at her ease, were combined with a caution against the expression of some sentiment, or the transgression of some conventional form, which might offend his uncle's fastidious taste. Thus watched and tutored, Kathleen foresaw that her manner would be constrained, and that her husband would be dissatisfied. She hardly knew whether to be relieved or not when Lord De Cressy was justified in his anticipations that their invitations would be declined, since the Christmas parties of the neighbourhood were already made up, so that a dinner party at the end of the week was the only diversion in prospect throughout Mr. De Cressy's visit. CHAPTER XXIV. Se a ciascuno l'interno affanno METASTASIO. "CAN I do anything for you in Newcastle?" Lord De Cressy asked Kathleen, as he was on the point of starting for that town, to meet his uncle at the station. "No, thank you; Mrs. Emory has given the list of things wanted for dessert to Richard." "And how are you to spend the afternoon by yourself? We shall not be back till near six, for it is a long hour's drive." "I shall not miss you in the least," said Kathleen, with a bright smile. "I am going to the farm, to arrange the labourers' Christmas dinner, and then to the parsonage, to get the list of the people who are to come for broth. And that reminds me, Lionel, to ask whether it would not be right to ask Mr. Brooke to eat his Christmas dinner here." "Mr. Brooke!" repeated Lord De Cressy, "I would sooner ask my bailiff. He can at least speak intelligibly, and look me in the face, and his Northumbrian accent |