CHAPTER V.
The one hour of play with Ernest de la Poer had the effect of making
Kate long more and more for a return of "fun," and of intercourse
with beings of her own age and of high spirits.
She wove to herself dreams of possible delights with Sylvia and
Charlie, if the summer visit could be paid to them; and at other
times she imagined her Uncle Giles's two daughters still alive, and
sent home for education, arranging in her busy brain wonderful
scenes, in which she, with their assistance, should be happy in spite
of Aunt Barbara.
These fancies, however, would be checked by the recollection, that it
was shocking to lower two happy spirits in Heaven into playful little
girls upon earth; and she took refuge in the thought of the coming
chance of playfellows, when Lord de la Poer was to bring his family
to London. She had learnt the names and ages of all the ten; and
even had her own theories as to what her contemporaries were to be
like--Mary and Fanny, Ernest's elders, and Adelaide and Grace, who
came next below him; she had a vision for each of them, and felt as
if she already knew them.
Meanwhile, the want of the amount of air and running about to which
she had been used, did really tell upon her; she had giddy feelings
in the morning, tired limbs, and a weary listless air, and fretted
over her lessons at times. So they showed her to the doctor, who
came to see Lady Jane every alternate day; and when he said she
wanted more exercise, her morning walk was made an hour longer, and a
shuttlecock and battledores were bought, with which it was decreed
that Mrs.
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