"Primroses! why yes; haven't you seen them?" "We have never gathered any primroses, we want to go and get some. Will you show us the way?" said Tory, looking up in his face. "Oh, Tory," said Amethyst, who, passing near, heard this request; "there are plenty of primroses which we can find quite easily." "But I should be delighted to show you the best places for them," said Sylvester, with alacrity. "Mr Leigh will come too," said Tory, turning to Lucian. "We're Cockneys, we want to be taught to enjoy the country, mother says so." "We'll have a grand primrose picnic," said Lucian. "My sisters will come too. Miss Haredale, do let us show you your first primrose." "Oh, I have gathered plenty of primroses," said Amethyst, smiling, but with a blush and a puzzled look, as if she did not quite know what it behoved her to say. "But one cannot have too many," she added after a moment. The primrose gathering was arranged for the next day, ostensibly between the Miss Haredales, and the girls from Ashfield, escorted by their governess. "But," said Tory afterwards with a knowing look, "we shan't have to gather them by ourselves, you'll see." "Tory!" exclaimed Amethyst, "you should not have asked Mr Riddell and Mr Leigh to come and gather primroses with us! And how could you say that you did not know where they grew, when we got some yesterday?" "Oh, they'll like to come," said Tory, "and I'm quite little enough to ask them." She made an indescribable face at Amethyst, and walked away as she spoke. "Did you like your first party, my pretty girl?" said Lady Haredale, putting a caressing hand on Amethyst's shoulder. "Oh yes, mamma, it was delightful." "I am going to be the old mother now, you know, Tony. It is this child's turn now." "You will have a great deal of satisfaction in teaching her," said Tony, with an intonation which Amethyst did not understand, and a look she did not like. But, as she shut herself into her own room, the images in her mind were full of colour and brightness. She felt that she had begun to live. The manifold relations of family life, the new acquaintances, even the new dresses and jewels, filled her with interest and pleasure so great that it brought a pang of remorse. "Poor auntie!" she thought, "and now she is dull, without me!" And, being too much excited to sleep, she sat down to write some of her first eager impressions to Miss Haredale; till, at what seemed to her a wickedly late hour, she heard a light soft foot in the passage. She opened the door softly, and there was Una, still in her white evening frock, with shining eyes and burning cheeks, starting nervously at sight of her sister. "Una! Do you know how late it is? Where have you been? How your head will ache to-morrow!" "I've been in the smoking-room and I've smoked a cigarette, and tasted a brandy-and-soda!" said Una, with a touch of Tory's wicked defiance. "Would mother let you?" said Amethyst slowly.