"Nelly seemed troubled in her mind with some indistinct recollections of you, and asked me if your brother was not a great lord, but I could not resolve her doubts, so----"
"Yes," broke in the Colonel, "she made the same enquiry of me, and I told her, her surmises were correct to the best of my belief; she piques herself on her knowledge of rank and precedence."
"What a relief it must be to her to think there is at last some good to counterbalance the crying evil of poor Mr. and Mrs Winter's degrading society: people like nurse are such strange mixtures--she would respect a gentleman in rags if he had a high-sounding name, and excuse his unpardonable extravagance--while she utterly despises a man of talent and respectability, because he earns money instead of wasting it!"
"Not a word against my sheet anchor, Nelly," exclaimed the Colonel.
"Oh!" said his granddaughter, "I am her warmest admirer, and--"
Here Nurse appeared in _propriâ personâ_, and announced dinner. "Give Kate your arm, Egerton: I wish I had a fair lady to escort myself."
"Did you communicate your fears for my brother's health, when your nurse enquired for him?" I asked, as we crossed the hall to the dining room.
"_De grâce_," said Miss Vernon, "let that rest; we have little to reproach each other with. We both behaved very badly."
"At least, I had temptation to plead in excuse, but your motive was sheer mischief!"
"And you call that no temptation, do you?"
The dining room looked on a different view of the river and fields, and gave a peep of a wood on the opposite bank, which I had not yet seen. Its furniture bespoke the absence of wealth; the only approach to ornament was a gracefully shaped basket filled with bright flowers, which did duty as an epergne; while the well-polished plate, bright glass, and snowy table linen, were admirable substitutes for more costly addenda; and equally refreshing was the simple dinner of trout from the river, Welch mutton, and fresh fruit, to my palate, wearied with the hacknied _entrées_ of our regimental chef.
Nurse performed the part of butler with much _empressement_, and occasionally, in reply to any question from her master, joined with much ease and self-possession in the conversation.