was called away by some question from Mr. Sowerby, and Mark Robarts
found himself bound to address his conversation to Miss Proudie.
Miss Proudie, however, was not thankful, and gave him little but
monosyllables for his pains.

"Of course you know Harold Smith is going to give us a lecture about
these islanders," Mr. Sowerby said to him, as they sat round the fire
over their wine after dinner. Mark said that he had been so informed,
and should be delighted to be one of the listeners.

"You are bound to do that, as he is going to listen to you the day
afterwards--or, at any rate, to pretend to do so, which is as much as
you will do for him. It'll be a terrible bore--the lecture, I mean,
not the sermon." And he spoke very low into his friend's ear. "Fancy
having to drive ten miles after dusk, and ten miles back, to hear
Harold Smith talk for two hours about Borneo! One must do it, you
know."

"I dare say it will be very interesting."

"My dear fellow, you haven't undergone so many of these things as I
have. But he's right to do it. It's his line of life; and when a man
begins a thing he ought to go on with it. Where's Lufton all this
time?"

"In Scotland, when I last heard from him; but he's probably at Melton
now."

"It's deuced shabby of him, not hunting here in his own county. He
escapes all the bore of going to lectures, and giving feeds to the
neighbours; that's why he treats us so. He has no idea of his duty,
has he?"

"Lady Lufton does all that, you know."

"I wish I'd a Mrs. Sowerby _mere_ to do it for me. But then Lufton
has no constituents to look after--lucky dog! By the by, has he
spoken to you about selling that outlying bit of land of his in
Oxfordshire? It belongs to the Lufton property, and yet it doesn't.
In my mind it gives more trouble than it's worth." Lord Lufton had
spoken to Mark about this sale, and had explained to him that such
a sacrifice was absolutely necessary, in consequence of certain
pecuniary transactions between him, Lord Lufton, and Mr. Sowerby.
But it was found impracticable to complete the business without Lady
Lufton's knowledge, and her son had commissioned Mr. Robarts not only
to inform her ladyship, but to talk her over, and to appease her
wrath. This commission he had not yet attempted to execute, and it
was probable that this visit to Chaldicotes would not do much to
facilitate the business.

"They are the most magnificent islands under the sun," said Harold
Smith