NIECE CATHERINE

By MARY HAMPDEN

AUTHOR OF 'ALISON'S AMBITION' 'THE GIRL WITH A TALENT' 'STRANGER MARGARET' ETC.

Butler & Tanner,
The Selwood Printing Works
Frome, and London.

Contents

CHAPTER I. The Heroine
CHAPTER II. Uncle Ross
CHAPTER III. Uncle Jack
CHAPTER IV. Catherine's Resolution
CHAPTER V. An Unshaken Resolution
CHAPTER VI. A Sunday's Experiences
CHAPTER VII. A Ray of Light
CHAPTER VIII. The Coming of Catherine's Betrothed
CHAPTER IX. An Important Offer
CHAPTER X. The Unexpected Happens
CHAPTER XI. Confidences and an Attempt
CHAPTER XII. Good-bye
CHAPTER XIII. The Fate of a Letter
CHAPTER XIV. Catherine's Appeal
CHAPTER XV. As God Willed

CHAPTER I

The Heroine

'Catherine!—Catherine!'

Mrs. Arderne stood at the foot of the staircase, looking upward, and calling her companion. Though her voice sounded impatient there was an amused smile on her face, because she could hear merry laughter from the night-nursery, where 'Catherine' was helping nurse to put Ted and Toddie into bed.

The last call produced the effect desired. A tall slim young woman came running downstairs, explaining and apologising.

'Oh, I am really very sorry! Have you been trying to make me hear? I didn't know that you were calling, not until a minute ago; and then Ted was on my lap, and made himself so heavy when I tried to lift him back into his cot!'

'You spoil my children.'

The mother was still smiling. Catherine laughed aloud, and very musically, the laugh of a girl to whom people had always been kind.

'If you seriously meant that accusation, Mrs. Arderne, I should have to try to prove my innocence; but as I am sure you didn't, I will only tell you what a darling Ted has been to-night. He said his hymn right through, and afterwards composed a dear little prayer for "mother's wicked headache to be taken right away." Now could I refuse to tell him about Jack and the Beanstalk after that?'

Catherine was trying to smooth back her brown hair with her hands as she spoke, for several curly locks were fluttering round her equally brown eyes, Toddie having 'rumpled dear Carr's head all up,' as the little girl herself would have expressed it.

'Kiss the tiny fellow "good-night" for me, dear,' said Mrs. Arderne, leading the way into the villa drawing-room. 'I called you down that you might fasten this flower in my dress, your fingers are so deft.'

After having performed the task Catherine stood back a few paces to survey the effect.

'You look delightful,' she remarked. 'But I'm not certain that it's a "companion's" place to tell you so!'

'The remark might be flattery. "Companions" are supposed to flatter.'

Catherine made a grimace. This was a bad habit she had, a trick copied unconsciously from her boy cousins in Melbourne.

'I won't ever be a first-rate "companion" then. Mrs. Arderne, it was tremendously good of you to take me, to give me a home, and a salary. Until I came to England I hadn't the least idea how ignorant, and peculiar, and—and—and independent a creature I am!'

'You were just going to use a stronger term of opprobrium!'

'Yes, dreadful slang. I checked myself for once, just because I am in real earnest. Oh, I am grateful to you! I want to learn to be of use to you,—to repay some of your goodness to me; please teach me to be a satisfactory companion in every way but that of flattery!'

There were tears sparkling in the brown eyes now, and a sweet pleading expression on the whole face. Mrs. Arderne, being a woman of the world, did not show how much she was touched, and answered laughingly,—

'Catherine, you are beautiful! Why did you spoil all my best plans for you by getting engaged to Brian North?'

A series of dimples played round the girl's lips. She put her hands behind her back, dropped a curtsey, after the manner of charity children before a benefactress, and blushed.

'Please, ma'am, I think it was because—I love him.'

'Romantic nonsense! My dear, you could as easily have loved another man. Mr. North is not a paragon of every virtue and charm. He happened to love you, and so, soft-heartedly, you tried to pay him back for love, just as you want to pay me back because I offered you a home when you were in want of one.'

'You didn't try to patronise me. You came to me, and spoke like the dear true woman you are, as a sister might have spoken;