Lady Vera is very glad to hear him talk so. He will never urge her to marry, and she may keep her secret always--always, _unless_--dreaded possibility--Leslie Noble should return to claim her. "But he will not. Why should he? He never cared for me. Yet how strange that he should have let my father take me away without one word. He must indeed have been glad to be rid of me," she muses. The earl and his daughter are staying with Lady Clive for the "season." She is an American, and the daughter of a famous American general. She is very happily married to Sir Harry Clive, baronet. Loving everything American with intensest love, she falls an instant victim to Lady Vera's charms. "Your mother was an American--so am I," she says, vivaciously; "so I claim you on that score. Do you like England, Lady Vera, and English people?" "Yes," Vera answers, in her grave way. "And," Lady Clive goes on, in her bright, airy fashion, "do you intend to marry an Englishman or an American?" "I shall never marry at all," Lady Vera says, with a face of extreme disgust. "Never! Ah, my dear, you are too young to decide such a momentous question. Only wait and see," cries Lady Clive, who has a match laid out in her mind for Vera, but who is far too wise to give her a hint of it. "I shall never marry," Vera repeats, calmly. "I do not even like to think of such things as love and marriage. Dear Lady Clive, let us talk of something more interesting. You promised to take me into the nursery, and show me your little children--did you not?" "Yes, and we will go now," her friend answers, leading the way; but to herself she says, wonderingly: "What a strange girl. At her age I did not think a set of noisy children more interesting than love and marriage." The grave young face grows brighter than Lady Clive has ever seen it as Vera watches the beautiful little children at their playful sports. She even smiles when they caress her, and gives them the flowers from her bosom in payment for kisses. "She loves children dearly," Lady Clive says to herself, well pleased. "How strange that she should be so set against marriage. She is an odd girl, but I think I shall live to see her change her mind." CHAPTER X. Lady Vera having gained the _entree_ to the nursery, pays it daily visits, always finding herself vociferously welcomed by the three small dwellers therein. And one day she finds the youthful trio in a hubbub of excitement. "Our uncle from America is coming over to visit us," they triumphantly announce to their friend. "You seem to be glad," Lady Vera answers, kindly. "Oh, we are," they laugh. "Aren't you glad, too, Vera?" "I do not know. I do not like Americans much," says Lady Vera, with a distinct remembrance of the Clevelands and Leslie Noble.