"I am sure you did," said Mark, pressing his arm round her waist.

"And then we were going to have a dreadful war, I thought; and I came
home and wrote such a doleful letter to you. But what should happen
when I had just closed it, but in came her ladyship--all alone,
and-- But I can't tell you what she did or said, only she behaved
beautifully; just like herself too; so full of love and truth and
honesty. There's nobody like her, Mark; and she's better than all the
dukes that ever wore--whatever dukes do wear."

"Horns and hoofs; that's their usual apparel, according to you and
Lady Lufton," said he, remembering what Mr. Sowerby had said of
himself.

"You may say what you like about me, Mark, but you shan't abuse Lady
Lufton. And if horns and hoofs mean wickedness and dissipation,
I believe it's not far wrong. But get off your big coat and make
yourself comfortable." And that was all the scolding that Mark
Robarts got from his wife on the occasion of his great iniquity.

"I will certainly tell her about this bill transaction," he said to
himself; "but not to-day; not till after I have seen Lufton." That
evening they dined at Framley Court, and there they met the young
lord; they found also Lady Lufton still in high good-humour. Lord
Lufton himself was a fine, bright-looking young man; not so tall as
Mark Robarts, and with perhaps less intelligence marked on his face;
but his features were finer, and there was in his countenance a
thorough appearance of good-humour and sweet temper. It was, indeed,
a pleasant face to look upon, and dearly Lady Lufton loved to gaze at
it.

"Well, Mark, So you have been among the Philistines?" that was his
lordship's first remark. Robarts laughed as he took his friend's
hands, and bethought himself how truly that was the case; that he
was, in very truth, already "himself in bonds under Philistian
yoke." Alas, alas, it is very hard to break asunder the bonds of the
latter-day Philistines. When a Samson does now and then pull a temple
down about their ears, is he not sure to be engulfed in the ruin with
them? There is no horse-leech that sticks so fast as your latter-day
Philistine.

"So you have caught Sir George, after all," said Lady Lufton; and
that was nearly all she did say in allusion to his absence. There
was afterwards some conversation about the lecture, and from her
ladyship's remarks it certainly was apparent that she did not like
the people among whom the vicar had