rness for Janey's bed-time.

"Do you let her sit up till midnight every night?" said Reginald, with
indignation.

"Let me sit up!" cried Janey, "as if I was obliged to do what she tells
me!"

Ursula gave a little shrug to her pretty shoulders, and looked at the
clock.

"It is not midnight yet; it is not nine o'clock," she said, with a sigh.
"I should have thought papa would have come home before now. Can he be
staying at the Hall all night?"

Just then, however, there was the well-known ring at the bell, and
Ursula ran downstairs to see after her father's supper. Why couldn't
Janey make herself useful and do that, the little company thought
indignantly and with one accord, instead of staying here with her sharp
eyes, putting everybody out? Mr. May's little dinner, or supper, served
on a tray, was very comfortable, and he ate it with great satisfaction,
telling Ursula that he had, on the whole, spent a pleasant day.

"The Dorsets were kind, as they always are, and Mr. Copperhead was a
little less disagreeable than he always is; and you may look for
Clarence back again in a day or two. He is not going to leave us. You
must take care that he does not fall in love with you, Ursula. That is
the chief thing they seem to be afraid of."

"Fall in love with _me_!" cried Ursula. "Oh, papa, where are your eyes?
He has fallen in love, but not with me. Can't you see it? It is Phoebe he
cares for."

Mr. May was startled. He raised his head with a curious smile in his
eyes, which made Ursula wonder painfully whether her father had taken
much wine at the Hall.

"Ah, ha! is that what they are frightened for?" he said, and then he
shrugged his shoulders. "She will show bad taste, Ursula; she might do
better; but I suppose a girl of her class has not the delicacy--So that
is what they are frightened for! And what are the other fish _you_ have
to fry?"

"Papa!"

"Yes. He told me he was not alarmed about you; that you had other fish
to fry, eh! Well, it's too late for explanations to-night. What's that?
Very odd, I thought I saw some one going out at the door--just a whiff
of the coat-tails. I think my digestion must be out of order. I'll go
into the study and get my pills, and then I think I'll go to bed."

"Won't you come upstairs to the drawing-room?" said Ursula, faltering,
for she was appalled by the idea of explanations. What had she to
explain, as yet? Mr. May shook his head, with that smile still upon his
face.

"