ht Beamingham Hall?"

"Yes, papa; we saw him at the Academy. I told him how happy you would
be to see him at Fulham."

"Of course I should be glad to see him; that is, if I happened to be
at home," said Sir Thomas.

"But I could not name a day without asking you, papa."

"He will have gone back by this time," said Sir Thomas.

"I think not, papa."

"And what do you say, Mary?"

"I have nothing to say at all, uncle. If Mr. Newton likes to come to
the villa, I shall be glad to see him. Why should I not? He has done
nothing to offend me." There was a slight smile on her face as she
spoke, and the merest hint of a blush on her cheek.

"They tell me that Beamingham Hall isn't much of a place after all,"
said Sir Thomas.

"From what Mr. Newton says, it must be a very ugly place," said Mary,
with still the same smile and the same hint of a blush;--"only I
don't quite credit all he tells us."

"If there is anything settled you ought to tell me," said Sir Thomas.

"There is nothing settled, uncle, or in any way of being settled.
It so happened that Mr. Newton did speak to me about his new house.
There is nothing more."

"Nevertheless, papa, pray let us ask him to dinner on Thursday." It
was for the purpose of making this request that Patience had come to
Southampton Buildings, braving her father's displeasure. Sir Thomas
scratched his head, and rubbed his face, and yielded. Of course he
had no alternative but to yield, and yet he did it with a bad grace.
Permission, however, was given, and it was understood that Patience
would write to the two young men, Ralph of Beamingham Hall and the
parson, asking them to dinner for the day but one following. "As
the time is so short, I've written the notes ready," said Patience,
producing them from her pocket. Then the bell was rung, and the two
notes were confided to Stemm. Patience, as she was going, found a
moment in which to be alone with her father, and to speak one more
word to him. "Dear papa, it would be so much better for us that you
should come and live at home. Think of those two, with nobody, as
it were, to say a word for them." Sir Thomas groaned, and again
scratched his head; but Patience left him before he had arranged his
words for an answer.

When they were gone, Sir Thomas sat for hours in his chair without
moving, making the while one or two faint attempts at the book before
him, but in truth giving up his mind to contemplation of the past
and to conject