ession upon him, and as an antidote to the sting he applied his
conviction that matchmaking was a bad business, and that in love affairs,
as well as in many diseases, the very best thing to do was to let nature
take its course.

When Miss Panney read the paper which had been sent to her, her eyes
flashed, and then she laughed.

"The wretch!" she exclaimed; "it is just like him." And in the afternoon
she sent to her apothecary in Thorbury for the medicine prescribed. "If
it cools me down," she said to herself, "I shall be able to work better."

CHAPTER XXVI

DORA COMES AND SEES

The call by the Bannisters at Cobhurst was made as planned. Had storm or
sudden war prevented Mrs. Bannister and Herbert from going, Dora would
have gone by herself. She did not appear to be in her usual state of
health that day, and Mrs. Bannister, noticing this, and attributing it to
Dora's great fondness for fruit at this season and neglect of more solid
food, had suggested that perhaps it might be well for her not to take a
long drive that afternoon. But this remark was added to the thousand
suggestions made by the elder lady and not accepted by the younger.

Miriam was in the great hall when the Bannister family drove up, and she
greeted her visitors with a well-poised affability which rather surprised
Mrs. Bannister. Dora instantly noticed that she was better dressed than
she had yet seen her.

When they were seated in the parlor, Mrs. Bannister announced that their
call was intended to include Mrs. Drane and her daughter, and Herbert
hoped that this time he would be able to see Mr. Haverley.

Mrs. Drane was sent for, but Miriam did not know where her brother and
Miss Drane should be looked for. She had seen them walk by the back
piazza, but did not notice in what direction they had gone. At this
moment there ran through Dora a sensation similar to that occasioned by a
mild galvanic shock, but as she was looking out of the open door, the
rest of the company saw no signs of this.

"Excuse me," said Mrs. Bannister, in a low voice, and speaking rather
rapidly, "but I thought that Miss Drane was working for Dr. Tolbridge,
copying, or something of that kind."

"She is," answered Miriam, "but she has her regular hours, and stops at
five o'clock, just as she did when she was in the doctor's house."

When Mrs. Drane had appeared and the visitors had been presented, Miriam
said that she would go herself and look for Ralph and Mis