“What are you talking about?” asked Lottie, slowly waking, with a feeling of disgust and impatience, out of her finer fancies. She could not keep some shade of scorn and annoyance from her face. “You needn’t put on those supercilious looks; you’ll suffer as much from it as I shall, or perhaps more, for a man can always do for himself,” said Law; “but you--you’ll find the difference. Lottie,” he continued, forgetting resentment in this common evil, and sinking his voice, “he’s down there at the old place again.” “What old place?” As soon as his complaining voice became familiar, Lottie closed her eyes again, longing to resume her own thoughts. “Oh! the old place. Why, down there; you know--the place where---- I say!” cried Law, suddenly growing red, and perceiving the betrayal of himself as well as of his father which was imminent. “Never mind where it is; it’s where that sharp one, Polly Featherstone, works.” Lottie was completely awakened now; she looked up, half-bewildered, from the dispersing mists. “Of whom are you talking?” she cried. “Law, what people have you got among--who are they? You frighten me! Who is it you are talking of?” “There’s no harm in them,” cried Law, colouring more and more. “What do you mean? Do you think they’re---- I don’t know what you mean; they’re as good as we are,” he added sullenly, walking away with his hands in his pockets out of the revelations of the lamp. Dim and low as it was, it disclosed, he was aware, an uncomfortable glow of colour on his face. “I don’t know who _they_ may be,” said Lottie, severe, yet blushing too; “I don’t want to know! But, oh, Law! you that are so young, my only brother, why should you know people I couldn’t know? Why should you be ashamed of anyone you go to see?” “I was not talking of people _I_ go to see; I wish you wouldn’t be so absurd; I’m talking of the governor,” said Law, speaking very fast; “he’s there, I tell you, a man of his time of life, sitting among a lot of girls, talking away fifteen to the dozen. He might find some other way of meeting her if he must meet her!” cried Law, his own grievance breaking out in spite of him. “What has he got to do there among a pack of girls? it’s disgraceful at his age!”