"Perhaps I have disentangled this mystery," she said; "time will tell, at all events, _bella mia_, I know the world--Lord Effingham's world--better than you do. I shall not notice 'the impertinence,' as you deem it."
"Indeed you do know best, Georgy dear, at least, in general, for you have experience, which I have not; but as to Lord Effingham, I have an instinct, worth whole a life-time of experience, that he is false and selfish--he admires you, indeed he said he was fond of you; but, oh, do not regard him with anything except the--"
"Ah, Lord Effingham appears to have been making quite a confidante of you, Kate! a rare compliment let me tell you," interrupted Lady Desmond, laughingly, "of course he begged of you not to repeat his confidence?"
"Well, dearest, it is a strange intimacy that has sprung up between you, and this very Giaour-like peer," returned Lady Desmond, in her sweetest manner, and quite regardless of Kate's warning. "I know not where it--"
"Lady Elizabeth Macdonnell," announced the footman; and the privy council was ended.
Colonel Dashwood made his appearance, at the proper hour for visiting, the next morning, and very much rejoiced was Kate to welcome him; he reminded her of much that was sad, 'tis true, but of sadness untinged by any bitter; and then, she had, since the day before, been haunted by the image of Fred Egerton, as he lay, pale and helpless, on a blue chintz sofa, in Mr. Winter's drawing-room, which was the latest, and clearest memory connected with Colonel Dashwood.
The conversation was, at first, rather constrained, the mind of both the visitor and visited being full of thoughts they feared to broach--Kate dreaded, yet longed to speak of her grandfather--she feared a rush of tears, that might embarrass her kind and pleasant acquaintance, but her candid, real nature, soon helped her out of the difficulty. Dashwood spoke in terms of cordial and judicious praise of the kind old man; Kate listened with delight, and told him of her happiness with her cousin, to whom she longed to present him, and felt more intimate with the gay, high-bred dragoon, than she had ever felt before.
"You remember Egerton, at A----, Miss Vernon?"
"Oh, yes, I wished to ask you about him."