a crunching of gravel, and when we turned our heads to
discover the cause, the front wheel was already turning the corner of
the path, and the next moment there was the General smiling benevolently
upon us, the valet pushing the handle, and walking by his side the
Squire himself, very red in the face and puckered about the brow,
exactly like a naughty boy who is being dragged forward to say he is
"sorry."

Fortunately there was no time to consider the situation. We shook
hands, and found a chair for Mr Maplestone, and ordered more tea, and
discussed the weather in its various branches, all with the utmost
propriety, until gradually the ice thawed. Charmion is a gracious
hostess, and the General is as genial and simple in manner as most men
who have spent their lives "east of the Suez". After five minutes in
his society one understands why he is the idol of the neighbourhood. He
looks ill, poor dear, but his blue eyes are still clear and alert, and
he twinkles them at you in such a shrewd, kindly fashion.

Not a word did he say about the accident until tea was half over and I
handed him some cake, when he looked full at me, and asked slyly:--

"How is the poor arm?"

"Progressing beautifully, thank you. _And_--the poor feet?"

"Ah," he said eloquently, "that was a moment! I am ashamed of my
ingratitude; but, my dear young lady, if you could have felt--"

"I know," I said humbly. "Eight stone six. But I had no choice; and at
the worst, it was not so bad as being spilt into the road."

"Indeed, yes. I am under the impression that I owe you a great deal.
It is difficult to express--"

"Please don't!" I said hastily. "I could hardly have done less, but I
could very easily have done it in a less clumsy way; and--it's so
embarrassing to be thanked! Let us talk of something else. Would you
care to see our garden? We have worked very hard at it all spring, and
are so proud of our effects. We love showing people round!"

Then I suddenly remembered and blushed, and glanced guiltily at the
Squire, to discover that he was doing exactly the same at me, and we all
three got up in a hurry, and disputed who should push the bath-chair.
The Squire did it, of course, and Charmion and I walked one on each side
and played show-women, and the dear old man admired everything he saw,
and asked for seeds in the autumn, and offered _us_ seeds in return, and
did everything nice and polite that nice polite people do do on ga