"She sees no difference," said Cecil. "Shall I drive you down?" she added graciously, according to the fashion of uniting with one sister-in-law against the other; and Rosamond not only accepted, but asked to be taken on to Willansborough, to buy a birthday present for her brother Terry, get stamps for an Indian letter, and perform a dozen more commissions that seemed to arise in her mind with the opportunity. Her two brothers were to spend the Christmas holidays with her, and she was in high spirits, and so communicative about them that she hardly observed how little interest Cecil took in Terry's achievements. "Who is that," she presently asked, "with those red-haired children? It looked like Miss Vivian's figure." "I believe it was. Julius and I often see her walking about the lanes; but she passes like--like a fire-flaught, whatever that is-- just bows, and hardly ever speaks." "She is a strange girl," said Cecil. "Lady Tyrrell says she cannot draw her into any of her interests, but she will go her own way." "Like poor Anne?" "No, not out of mere moping and want of intellect, like Anne. But Lady Tyrrell says she feels for her; she was brought a great deal too forward, and was made quite mistress of the house at Rockpier, being her father's darling and all, and now it is trying to her, though it is quite wholesome, to be in her proper place. It is a pity she is so bitter over it, and flies off her own way." "That boy!" said Rosamond; "I hope she does something for his good." "She teaches him, I believe; but there's another instance of her strange ways. She was absolutely vexed when Lady Tyrrell took him into the house, though he was her protege, only because it was not done in _her_ way. It is a great trial to Camilla." "I could fancy a reason for that," said Rosamond. "Julius does not like the tone of the household at all." But she added hastily, "Who could those children be? They did not look _quite_ like poor children." "Ah! she is always taking up with some odd person in her own away," said Cecil. "But here we are. Will you drive on to the hotel, or get out here?" When, at the end of two hours, the sisters-in-law met at the work- room, and Rosamond had taken a survey of the row of needle-women, coming up one by one to give their work, be paid and dismissed, there was a look of weariness and vexation on Cecil's face. She had found it less easy to keep order and hinder gossip, and had hardly known how to answer when that kind lady, Mrs. Miles Charnock, had been asked after; but she would have scorned to allow that she had missed her assistant, and only politely asked how Rosamond had sped. "Oh! excellently. People were so well advised as to be out, so I paid off all my calls." "You did not return your calls without Julius?" "There's nothing he hates so much. I would not have dragged him with me on any account." "I think it is due to one's self."