e following day. John Massingbird was
invited at the special request of Lionel. Perhaps John was less of an
ornament to a social party than even Jan, but Lionel had been anxious
that no slight should be placed upon him. It would have been a slight
for the owner of Verner's Pride to be left out at Decima Verner's
wedding. Lady Verner held out a little while; she did not like John
Massingbird: never had liked any of the Massingbirds; but Lionel carried
his point. John Massingbird showed himself presentable that day, and had
left his pipe at home.

In one point Mr. Massingbird proved himself as little given to ceremony
as Jan could be. The dinner hour, he had been told, was seven o'clock;
and he arrived shortly after six. Lucy Tempest and Mary Elmsley were in
the drawing-room. Fair, graceful girls, both of them, in their floating
white bride's-maid's robes, which they would wear for the day; Lucy
always serene and quiet; Mary, merry-hearted, gay-natured. Mary was to
stay with them for some days. They looked somewhat scared at the early
entrance of John Massingbird. Curious tales had gone about Deerham of
John's wild habits at Verner's Pride, and, it may be, they felt half
afraid of him. Lucy whispered to the servant to find Mr. Verner and tell
him. Lady Verner had gone to her room to make ready for dinner.

"I say, young ladies, is it six or seven o'clock that we are to dine?"
he began. "I could not remember."

"Seven," replied Lucy.

"I am too soon by an hour, then," returned he, sitting down in front of
the fire. "How are you by this time, Lionel?"

Lionel shook hands with him as he came in. "Never mind; we are glad to
see you," he said in answer to a half apology from John Massingbird
about the arriving early. "I can show you those calculations now, if you
like."

"Calculations be hanged!" returned John. "When a fellow comes out to
dinner, he does not want to be met with 'calculations.' What else,
Lionel?"

Lionel Verner laughed. They were certain calculations drawn out by
himself, connected with unavoidable work to be commenced on the Verner's
Pride estate. For the last month he had been vainly seeking an
opportunity of going over them with John Massingbird; that gentleman,
who hated details as much as Master Cheese hated work, continually
contrived to put it off.

"Have you given yourself the pleasure of making them out in duplicate,
that you propose to show them here?" asked he, some irony in his tone.
"I