Kate never quitted any place with so little regret, as Hampton Court; though, at first, she had liked it much--difficulties soon gathered round her--difficulties, such as she had never before encountered; but she was wofully depressed--Lady Desmond had put a finishing stroke to her low spirits, by enquiring if she would like to drive directly to Mrs. Storey's, or go with her to Mivart's in the first place. This readiness to get rid of her on the part of her natural protectress, threw a sad feeling of gloom and loneliness over poor Kate's heart, and it was some moments before she could reply. Her first impulse was to accede at once to the proposition, which would have relieved her cousin of her irksome presence; but an instant's thought, showed her two potent reasons for a different line of conduct--first, she must cling as long as she possibly could to nurse--secondly, she knew Mrs. Storey did not expect her till the next day, so having glanced at these motives, and swallowed a rising inclination to sob, she answered, with a certain degree of reproachful sadness-- "I do not think Mrs. Storey expects me till to-morrow; and if you can bear my presence a little longer, I should prefer waiting till then. Dear cousin, though you are weary of me, I think of our parting with grief, and regret." "Oh, Kate, Kate," cried Lady Desmond, pressing her handkerchief to her eyes "would to God, I could blot out the last few months--I feel I am utterly neglecting my bounden duty in thus leaving you--but it is better for both of us, at least for awhile! Do you forgive me? you would if you knew the wretched sea of doubt and difficulty and suspicion in which my weary spirit is tossed! I should make you miserable if you stayed with me." "I am most fully determined, even if you were not so inclined, to leave you; at present it is quite as much my choice, as yours--do not grieve about that--but--but, dear Georgy, do not seem so anxious to get rid of me!" "What a selfish, worthless wretch I have become," said Lady Desmond, with sudden remorse, "I am not the same for an hour--at this moment I would fain keep you with me to the last! but Saturday, the day after to-morrow, I leave for Ireland; till then, you shall stay with me--you would like to stay with nurse, at all events--how could I forget, ah! Kate forgive me! you may, you ought; God knows how much misery you have caused me," she ended bitterly. Kate sighed to see how implacable were the suspicions entertained by Lady Desmond; and the rest of the journey was performed in almost unbroken and melancholy silence. Miss Vernon wrote a line, to announce her arrival in town, to Mrs. Storey; and then, leaving her cousin to receive the thousand and one visitors, who flocked to remonstrate with, and exclaim at her strange whim of performing a personal, and purgatorial progress to her estates in Ireland, she sought the society of poor nurse, who was plunged into the deepest affliction--