"Mrs Lee said I should find you here," he said. "Why, doctor, how well
you look. I'll be bound to say you never take much of your own physic.
Glad to see you again, old fellow," he cried, shaking hands very warmly.
"But, I beg your pardon, I did not know you were engaged with a
stranger. Will you introduce me?"

"Oh, I say, Mr Deering," cried Vane.

"It is! The same voice grown gruff. The weathercock must want oiling.
Seriously, though, my dear boy, you have grown wonderfully. It's this
Greythorpe air."

The doctor welcomed his old friend fairly enough, but a certain amount
of constraint would show, and Deering evidently saw it, but he made no
sign, and they went into the house, where Aunt Hannah met them in the
drawing-room, looking a little flustered, consequent upon an encounter
with Martha in the kitchen, that lady having declared that it would be
impossible to make any further preparations for the dinner, even if a
dozen gentlemen had arrived, instead of one.

"Ah, my dear Mrs Lee," said Deering, "and I have never kept my word
about the refurnishing of this drawing-room. What a scene we had that
night, and how time has gone since!"

Vane looked on curiously all the rest of that day, and could not help
feeling troubled to see what an effort both his uncle and aunt made to
be cordial to their guest, while being such simple, straightforward
people, the more they tried, the more artificial and constrained they
grew.

Deering ignored everything, and chatted away in the heartiest manner;
declared that it was a glorious treat to come down in the country;
walked in the garden, and admired the doctor's flowers and fruit, and
bees, and made himself perfectly at home, saying that he had come down
uninvited for a week's rest.

Vane began at last to feel angry and annoyed; but seizing his
opportunity, the doctor whispered:--

"Don't forget, boy, that he is my guest. Prosperity has spoiled him,
but I am not entertaining the successful inventor; I am only thinking of
my old school-fellow whom I helped as a friend."

"All right, uncle, I'll be civil to him."

Six days glided slowly by, during which Deering monopolised the whole of
everybody's time. He had the pony-carriage out, and made Vane borrow
Miller Round's boat and row him up the river, and fish with him,
returning at night to eat the doctor and Mrs Lee's excellent dinner,
and drink the doctor's best port.

And now the sixth day--the evening--had arr