" The rector and Mr. Errington were in deep
conversation on the hearth-rug, and Mrs. Ormonde was reading the paper.
"So you have been visiting the nursery?" said the Colonel, rising and
offering Katherine a chair. "Your first introduction to our young man, I
suppose?"
"Yes. What a great boy he is!--the picture of health!"
"Ay, he is a Trojan," complacently. "The other little fellows are
looking well, eh?"
"Very well indeed. Cis is wonderfully grown; but Charlie is much what he
was."
"He'll overtake his brother, though, before long," said Colonel Ormonde,
encouragingly, as he rang and ordered the card-table to be set.
"You play whist, I suppose? We want a fourth."
"I am quite ignorant of that fascinating game," returned Katherine, "and
very sorry to be so useless."
"It _is_ lamentable ignorance! Lady Alice, will you take compassion on
us? No?--then we _must_ have Errington."
Errington did not seem at all reluctant, and the two young ladies were
left to entertain each other.
Katherine, who had gone to the other end of the room to look at some
water-color drawings, came back and sat down beside her. Lady Alice
looked amiable, but did not speak, and Katherine felt greatly at a loss
what to say.
Pages:
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305