We stopped at a house which I understood was Sir Gregory Somebody's, the great doctor. It seemed, from what passed, that he was to come on after us. It wasn't long before we stopped again; this time at a great house in a great square. The young gentleman got out, and he had hardly touched the bell before the door was open, and he was leading the children and me into the house. I never saw the likes of it. There were footmen in white stockings and powdered hair, and a hall which was bigger than any room I ever came across. It seemed against nature that I should go into such a place as if I owned it. No wonder that I pressed the children's hands, so that they clung tighter to me. I felt that the mites were trembling; I don't doubt I trembled too. He took me into a room in which were the two ladies who had been the day before at Mr. Howarth's--Miss Desmond and the young one. Miss Desmond came hurrying towards us. 'So you've brought them, have you? You clever man!' She put her hands upon my shoulder, and kissed me--before I could stop her. 'My dear Mary, welcome home.' 'Begging your pardon, miss, but this isn't my home, or ever will be.' Somehow the very thought of such a thing made me shiver again. She laughed. 'Isn't it? We shall see.' She knelt down to talk to Jimmy. She kissed him too. 'Well, my Lord Marquis, and what do you think of your new house? You haven't seen much of it, but you shall see it all before you are much older. We think it's rather a nice house; and we hope you'll think so too.' Jimmy said never a word. 'What!--you won't speak!--not even to me! Never mind; I dare say you'll let me know you have a tongue when we've made friends.' Getting up, she turned to the young lady--who had been standing on one side, eyeing me and the children in a way I was conscious of and didn't like. 'Mary, this is Violet Howarth.' The young lady put out her hand, keeping herself as stiff and cold as if she were a kind of iceberg. 'How do you do? Is it true that you're the widow of the late Marquis of Twickenham?' I paid no attention to her hand whatever. 'About that I know nothing. I am Mrs. Merrett.' I let her see I could be as stiff as she was--in spite of all that I was feeling. Miss Desmond slipped her arm through mine. 'That's right, Mary; you're a faithful creature--stick to the name which you know best. Leonard must have had some redeeming qualities, or he would never have been able to win the love of a good woman and keep it. There must be something in a man if he can do that. Come, you three, let's go and see what we can find upstairs.' She was leading us out of the room--I seemed to have lost all power of resisting anything or any one--when the door opened and Mr. Howarth entered. His face when he saw us was a picture. 'Reggie, what--what insensate folly's this?'