"I'm glad to see you, Mrs. Rouat," said Hester, deciding that at last the wilful niece had been brought as a prospective member of the Girls' Club by this benevolent-looking aunt, though on glancing at the girl she was obliged to admit that her haughty demeanour was not hopeful. She made no response to Hester's friendly outstretched hand, but stood quite still, then with a nod to her aunt she resumed her seat. Mrs. Rouat leaned back in her chair and fixed her eyes on Hester. "Though you don't know me, my dear, and maybe your husband won't either, seeing he was but a babee when he last saw me, yet believe me, Mrs. Rayner, I am a veree old friend of the family! Your husband's dead mother, Rosina Castro, and me was veree chief when we lived next door in Chandrychoke--thatt's the Eurasian quarter--or one of them, in Calcutta, in case you don't know, bein', as I hear, new from England. Also Mr. David Morpeth, your husband's father, was well known to me. In fact I had the pleasure of calling for him the other day----" "Mr. Morpeth! I don't quite understand," faltered Hester. "I think you are making some mistake. Mr. Morpeth is in no way related to my husband." "Ain't he just," said Leila, with a harsh laugh. "It's you thatt's makin' the mistake, ladee," Mrs. Rouat went on. "Alfred Rayner is David Morpeth's veree own son, born in lawful wedlock, I do assure you, and there's others can vouch for thatt as well as me. The good man himself will not deny it if you was puttin' it to him, he was always a truth-lovin' man was David, veree different from his late wife, Rosina." Mrs. Rouat glanced uneasily at Hester, and reminded herself that she must keep in mind the close relationship of the "parties." "Your information is incorrect," said Hester firmly. "Unfortunately my husband has no relatives in India or anywhere else. His father and mother both died when he was a child," she added placidly, never doubting the truth of her assertion. "Tell thatt to your grandmother," interjected Leila, with a rude laugh. "It's easy to see, Aunt Tilly, she's been taken in by Alfred's lies same as I was till he jilted me," ended the girl, with a spiteful glance on the paling face of the woman she hated. Hester rose from her chair, folded her hands, and said in a restrained voice: "I must ask you to excuse me! Boy, call the carriage," she added, calling the butler. Then she passed out of the room, leaving the aunt and niece staring at each other with discomforted air.