"Oh no," said Mabel, "I got that out of a book. I can tell you lots more fatal love stories any time you like."
The French governess gave a little jump, as though she had suddenly remembered something.
"It is nearly dinner-time," she said. "Your friend--Mabelle, yes--will be your convivial, and in her honour we will make a little feast. My beautiful flowers--put them to the water, Kathleen. I run to buy the cakes. Wash the hands, all, and be ready when I return."
Smiling and nodding to the children, she left them, and ran up the stairs.
"Just as if she was young," said Kathleen.
"She _is_ young," said Mabel. "Heaps of ladies have offers of marriage when they're no younger than her. I've seen lots of weddings too, with much older brides. And why didn't you tell me she was so beautiful?"
"Of course she is; and what a darling to think of cakes for me, and calling me a convivial!"
"Look here," said Gerald, "I call this jolly decent of her. You know, governesses never have more than the meanest pittance, just enough to sustain life, and here she is spending her little all on us. Supposing we just don't go out to-day, but play with her instead. I expect she's most awfully bored really."
"Would she really like it?" Kathleen wondered. "Aunt Emily says grown-ups never really like playing. They do it to please us."
"They little know," Gerald answered, "how often we do it to please them."
"We've got to do that dressing-up with the Princess clothes anyhow--we said we would," said Kathleen. "Let's treat her to that."
"Rather near tea-time," urged Jimmy, "so that there'll be a fortunate interruption and the play won't go on for ever."
"I suppose all the things are safe?" Mabel asked.
"Quite. I told you where I put them. Come on, Jimmy; let's help lay the table. We'll get Eliza to put out the best china."
"It was lucky," said Gerald, struck by a sudden thought, "that the burglars didn't go for the diamonds in the treasure-chamber."
"They couldn't," said Mabel almost in a whisper; "they didn't know about them. I don't believe anybody knows about them, except me--and you, and you're sworn to secrecy." This, you will remember, had been done almost at the beginning. "I know aunt doesn't know. I just found out the spring by accident. Lord Yalding's kept the secret well."