"I will have them brought in," said Mrs. West. Then she bustled away and left the girl alone. She was not tired, probably, for she did not lie down. She only pulled a chair to the window and sat down. Then she clasped her small hands together on the window-sill, rested her round, dimpled chin upon them, and gazed at the sky with a thoughtful, far-off look in her eyes. Meanwhile Mrs. West's mind teemed with uneasy thoughts. "She's rather strange, I'm afraid," the good woman said to herself. "I think, perhaps, poor Dick has humored her some--she will not bear restraint well--I can see that! And what will Lady Lancaster say to a grown-up girl instead of a little one, as we expected? I'm afraid I see rocks ahead. And yet how pretty and bright she is--too pretty to belong to the housekeeper's room, I'm afraid. Lady Lancaster will be vexed at her, if ever she sees her. She is too independent in her ways to suit my lady. They must not be allowed to meet as long as I can help it," sighing. CHAPTER XIX. Lady Lancaster was pleased to be very gracious indeed to her returned nephew. "Ah, you are as big and handsome as ever, Clive!" she said, "and well, of course. I believe you never were sick in your life?" "Hardly ever," he replied, with a laugh, adding, with veiled anxiety: "I hear that you have killed the fatted calf in my honor, Aunt Lydia. Whom have you staying with you?" "A few nice people from London, Clive--twenty in all, I think. There are old Lord and Lady Brierly, and their son and daughter, Sir Charles Winton, Colonel Livingston, Mark Dean and his pretty sister, the Earl of Eastwood and his beautiful daughter, Lady Adela, the Cliffords, and some other people. You will meet them all at dinner. I think you know them all?" "Yes, I suppose so," he answered, rather absently. "To-night there will be a little informal dance--the young folks were so eager for it, you know. And, Clive, that young friend of yours, Lieutenant De Vere--I hope you brought him down with you?" "I did not," he replied. "I am sorry; but I shall send him a note to-morrow. Did you have a fair trip over, Clive?" "Very fair," he replied, in a peculiar tone. "I am glad to hear that. Oh, by the way, Clive, did you bring that child to the housekeeper?" "Yes," he replied, and a slight smile twitched the corners of the mustached lips. "I hope she wasn't troublesome," said the haughty old lady, carelessly. "She was troublesome--I suppose all of the female sex are," he answered, lightly. "Well, it couldn't be helped, or I would not have bothered you. I had to send for the young one, or West would have gone off herself to fetch her. I'm glad you brought her. The trouble is all over now, so I suppose you don't care." "Oh, no!" said Captain Lancaster, with rather grim pleasantry. And then she touched him on the arm and said, significantly: "There's some one here I want very much for you to meet, Clive."