" And then the two
little girls drew off into the window, and looked at each other under
their eyelashes in silence.
Sylvia Joanna Wardour was not like her namesake at home, Sylvia
Katharine. She was a thin, slight, quiet-looking child, with so
little to note about her face, that Kate was soon wondering at her
dress being so much smarter than her own was at present. She herself
had on a holland suit with a deep cape, which, except that they were
adorned with labyrinths of white braid, were much what she had worn
at home, also a round brown hat, shading her face from the sun;
whereas Sylvia's face was exposed by a little turban hat so deeply
edged with blue velvet, that the white straw was hardly seen; had a
little watered-silk jacket, and a little flounced frock of a dark
silk figured with blue, that looked slightly fuzzed out; and perhaps
she was not at ease in this fine dress, for she stood with her head
down, and one hand on the window-sill, pretending to look out of
window, but really looking at Kate.
Meanwhile the two grown-up ladies were almost as stiff and shy,
though they could not keep dead silence like the children. Mrs.
Wardour had heard before that Lady Barbara Umfraville was a
formidable person, and was very much afraid of her; and Lady Barbara
was not a person to set anyone at ease.
So there was a little said about taking the liberty of calling, for
her brother-in-law was so anxious to hear of Lady Caergwent: and
Lady Barbara said her niece was very well and healthy, and had only
needed change of air.
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