“I am not going to quarrel, only I want you to believe me, though, of course, it must sound incredible. She has been educated like a lady with the rector’s daughters, she speaks French better than any English person, except my mother, I have ever met; she paints and sings charmingly, and the Leslies—Mr. Leslie is the rector and a friend of the Oafhams—are as fond of her as of their own children, and she often stays with them, and nearly always spends her mornings at the rectory, and the Leslies think there is no doubt she is a lady by birth, though they have never been able to trace her parentage. They know no more about her origin than I do, namely that she was found by the shepherd on his doorstep one summer evening.” “And does your mother know all this?” “No, my people know nothing at present unless the Oafhams have ferretted it out.” “Then what made you tear yourself away? I thought you were to stay in England for some Protestant carnival in November?” “So I was to have done, but Mr. Leslie persuaded me to go away because the shepherd would not allow me to see her any more unless I had my father’s consent to our engagement, and at present I know it would be worse than useless to ask for it. But the Leslies and I have made a little plan by which I hope to win it. If I tell you the plot you will promise not to breathe it to anyone, not even the baron; if it fails, I give you leave to tell him; and if it succeeds, of course everyone will know. Will you promise?” The baroness nodded assent, and Rex continued— “Well, you know, my father is going over to this carnival, which takes place at Lewes on the 5th of November. It is a grand sight, some people say, only second to the Carnival at Rome; some say it is better. The Leslies are going to invite Fairy to spend a week with them. They will bring her to the carnival and introduce father to her. He is sure to be charmed with her, and will go and call on the Leslies, where he will see she is like one of the family, and then I hope to win his consent to our marriage before he finds out her foster-parents, or perhaps in spite of it, for Fairy is sure to captivate him.