"There is only this," said Mr. Ward: "my papers, which I have shown to you ladies, prove conclusively that Lavinia Lovell, whom I have just brought to you, is your niece; and this other child, whom you have accepted as your niece, is not such, although she is the daughter of your sister's husband by his second wife." "Yes," said Miss Priscilla Flint, holding Ladybird closer. "Yes," said Ladybird, in a contented tone. "And so," said Mr. Ward, going on with some difficulty--"and so, Lavinia Lovell, the child I have brought to you, is your niece, and consequently dependent upon you." "Yes," said Miss Priscilla Flint, still holding Ladybird close. "Yes," said Ladybird, still contentedly. "And of course," went on Mr. Ward, "you, as her aunts, and her only living relatives, are responsible for her welfare." "Certainly," said Miss Dorinda, who was holding the calm, golden-haired child by the hand. "Certainly," said Miss Priscilla, who was holding Ladybird and Cloppy both in her arms. "Then," said Mr. Ward, "may I assume that you, the Misses Flint, undertake the maintenance and support of Lavinia Lovell?" "Certainly," said Miss Priscilla Flint, with great dignity, although she spoke over the shoulder of a turbulent child, and a no less quivering dog--"certainly we undertake the support and maintenance of the child who is, as you have proved to us, the daughter of our sister Lavinia." "And what about me, aunty?" said Ladybird. "You are ours, also, child," said Miss Priscilla; "and I would just like to see you get away!" "You're a nice lady, aunty," said Ladybird, stroking the withered cheek of Miss Priscilla. "And do you mean that it is settled that I am to live here with this new Lavinia Lovell?" "It isn't a new Lavinia Lovell," said Aunt Dorinda, "for you aren't Lavinia Lovell at all; you're only Ladybird Lovell." "That's enough for me," said the child, chuckling; "for you know perfectly well, Aunt Dorinda, that I never wanted to be anything but Ladybird." "Well, then," said Mr. Ward, "do I understand, Miss Flint, that you will keep both of these children?" "It seems to me," said Miss Priscilla, grimly, "that I have no choice. Lavinia Lovell I will keep with pleasure, because she is the daughter of my sister; and Ladybird Lovell I keep because I love her." "And because I love you," said Ladybird, as she flung her arms round Miss Priscilla's neck. CHAPTER XX HALF-SISTERS The next day Chester Humphreys and Stella Russell sat talking together. They were sitting on the ground under a certain historic apple-tree, and the young man held the girl's very pretty hand in both his own. "Stella mine," he said, "I don't like the idea of that new Lavinia taking the place of our Ladybird." "She doesn't take her place," said Stella; "anybody can see that Ladybird has her own place with the Flint ladies, and nobody can put her out of it."