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was looking decidedly out of temper, and, with only a glowering glance at Lucilla, devoted himself to the task of apologizing to his hostess for presenting himself in topboots and breeches: a social solecism which plainly lacerated all his finer feelings. In vain did Miss Wychwood beg him not to give the matter a thought, and draw his attention to her own morning-dress: nothing would do for him but to explain the circumstances which had compelled him to appear before her looking, as he termed it, like a dashed shabrag. "Owing to the haste in which I was obliged to set out on the journey I had no time to pack up my gear, ma'am," he said. "I can only beg your forgiveness for being so improperly dressed! And also for being, I fear, so late in coming here! I was detained by the necessity of providing myself with additional funds, what little blunt I had in my pockets having been exhausted by the time I reached Bath!"
    "I knew it was wrong of me to have deserted you!" cried Lucilla remorsefully. "I am so very sorry, Ninian, but why didn't you tell me you were brought to a standstill? I have plenty of money, and if only you had asked me for it I would have given you my purse!"
    Revolted, Mr Elmore was understood to say that he was not, he thanked God, reduced to such straits as that. He had laid his watch on the shelf, which was bad enough, but better than breaking the shins of his childhood's friend. These mysterious words left his listeners at a loss, so he was obliged to explain that he had pawned his watch, which he considered to be preferable to borrowing money from Lucilla. Miss Farlow said that such sentiments did him honour; but his childhood's friend said roundly that it was just the sort of nonsensical notion he would take into his head; and Miss Wychwood was obliged to intervene hastily to prevent a lively quarrel between them. Miss Farlow, who, whatever her opinion might be of girls who ran away from their homes and insinuated themselves into the good graces of complete strangers, had (like many elderly spinsters) a soft spot for a personable young man, encouraged him to unburden himself of his several grievances, and lavished so much sympathy on him that by the time the dinner-bell was heard he was in a fair way to forgetting the humiliating experiences he had undergone, and was able to make a hearty meal, washed down with the excellent claret with which Sir Geoffrey kept his sister provided. At which point Miss Wychwood ventured to ask him whether he meant to remain in Bath, or to return to his anxious parents.
    "I must return, of course," he replied, a worried expression in his eyes. "For they won't know where I am, and I fear my father will be fretting himself into a fever. I should never forgive myself if he were to suffer one of his heart-attacks."
    "No, indeed!" said Miss Farlow. "Poor gentleman! Your mama, too! One hardly knows which of them to pity most, though I suppose her case is the worse, because of having double the anxiety!" She saw that he was looking guilty, and said consolingly: "But never mind! How happy they will be when they see you safe and sound! Are you their only offspring, sir?"
    "Well, no: not precisely the only one," he answered. "I'm their only son, but I have three sisters, ma'am."
    "Four!" interpolated Lucilla.
    "Yes, but I don't count Sapphira," he explained. "She's been married for years, and lives in another part of the country."
    "I collect your father doesn't enjoy good health," said Miss Wychwood, "which makes it of the first importance that you shouldn't leave him in suspense for a moment longer than is necessary."
    "That's just it, ma'am!" he said, turning eagerly towards her. "His constitution was ruined in the Peninsula, for besides being twice wounded, and having a ball lodged in his shoulder, which the surgeons failed to extract, after subjecting him to hours of torture, he had several bouts of a particularly deadly fever, which one gets on the Portuguese border, and which he