certainly need not. But this conclusion proved Minna to be unacquainted with the peculiarities incidental to young ladies of seventeen, who are generally much less disposed to make children their friends than people of seven-and-twenty would be. The two cousins were sitting together one afternoon, and the conversation had, as usual, turned on the unknown and anxiously-expected relation, when a servant entered the room with the information that Lady Elizabeth Fairstone was in the drawing-room, and had asked for the young ladies. "Can Beatrice be come? What a pity mamma is out!" said Winifred. "Is anybody with Lady Elizabeth ?" inquired Minna of the servant. "No, ma'am. I mentioned that my lady was not at home, but Lady Elizabeth said she thought you would see her." "I don't know her, Minna; she only wants you. I do not want to go and see her." "Oh, yes! do come; you ought, really, I am sure Auntie would wish it. Besides, I don't like going in alone." "I wish people would not call when mamma is out," sighed Winifred, unwillingly following her cousin down stairs. "Perhaps Lady Elizabeth is come to tell us about Beatrice, and wants to leave some message for my aunt." "What should I have done if you had been out too?" Question, on what would indeed have been to Winifred an awful dilemma, remained unanswered, except by Minna's smile, for they had reached the drawing-room door. Lady Elizabeth rose at their entrance, and advanced to meet Minna with great empressement. My dear Miss Maxwell, I am so glad to see you. I believe I ought to introduce myself; but with the connexion between our families, I am sure we cannot feel like strangers. And this is your sister. How do you do, my dear?' and she turned for a moment to Winifred. "Beatrice will be quite proud of her nieces; but really you must not call her aunt; you will make her feel so old, and there is so little difference between you in age, I suppose?" "Not much, I believe," said Minna, seeing that this was meant as a question; "but I am in no danger of calling her aunt, as it is Winifred " "Oh, yes! I understand," interrupted Lady Elizabeth. "It would really be quite an insult to be expected to give poor Beatrice the title of aunt; that can only be expected from the little ones," added she, smiling at Winifred. "I did not mean that," said Minna, colouring; "but Beatrice is not my aunt." "By half-blood she is, you know, and we do not take notice of these little differences of relationship." "Oh no," said Minna, who was becoming worried with the mistake; "but she is Winifred's aunt. I am not Miss Maxwell." Lady Elizabeth looked at her with such an expression of astonishment, that poor Minna felt her cheeks becoming crimson; but before she could explain, Winifred's gentle voice came to her assistance. "Minna is my cousin, and my sister almost; it is just the same." "Oh, indeed!" said Lady Elizabeth, rather coldly; "then your cousin is also a visitor, and you will be the one to see more of dear Beatrice." "Oh, no," said Winifred, "I think Minna will be the most with her, because I am so little; and Minna is not a visitor, she is at home." Lady Elizabeth turned a not very pleased glance towards Minna, who, however, had quite recovered herself, and said, gaily— "I am Minna Raymond, and Lady Fortrose is my cousin; but I am at home here, as Winifred says. We are both looking forward to the pleasure of knowing Beatrice; she is not in England yet, I suppose ?" "Yes; she came last night to Southampton, and I expect her in town this evening. I called on purpose to tell your mamma. Will you give her the message, my love?" added Lady Elizabeth, addressing herself to Winifred. "Yes," said Winifred, timidly. "I think your mamma will be anxious to see her soon; but I dare say she will be tired with her journey, and glad to keep quiet for the first day or two." Winifred raised her eyes to Lady Elizabeth's face with a glance that seemed to say— "Do you think a visit from mamma would disturb her?" but she said nothing. Good-bye, then, my love," said Lady Elizabeth, in her sweetest manner; "I shall tell Beatrice all about you, and I dare say you will see her soon. Good-bye, Miss Raymond." She shook hands with Minna, and left the room. The cousins stood for a few minutes in silence where she had left them. Winifred spoke first. "I am very sorry Beatrice is not coming here," said she. "But she is coming," said Minna. 66 Ah, but I mean at first. I wish she need not go to Lady Elizabeth." "Why?" said Minna, smiling. "Because I should not like it, if I were Beatrice." "I daresay you would, if you were Beatrice; for Lady Elizabeth is her aunt, and is very fond of her." "I am glad she is not my aunt, and I could not be very fond of her," said Winifred, with an emphasis on the last word. "Oh, Winifred, how can you know that? I am sure she was very pleasant to you." Winifred smiled thoughtfully. "Minna," said she, after a long silence, when they had returned to their occupations in the school-room, "do you think Beatrice will consider me one of the little ones, to be treated like Geraldine and the little children in the nursery? I know I am very little; but if she does, and if she wants you very often, you will talk to me sometimes still, will you not?" "My dear Winifred, I hope her coming will not make any difference to our being together; if it did, I should be sorry she ever came at all. I assure you, nothing shall ever make me less fond of you and of our talks together. I wish you would put this idea quite out of your head; and you see, Lady Elizabeth did not seem to think Beatrice would look down upon you for being little." |