e chooses.")
Kitty went on carelessly, "Netherglen is damp in this weather. I don't
think I should care to live there." Then she blushed a little, as though
some new thought had occurred to her.

"The weather is growing quite autumnal," said Mrs. Heron, languidly. "We
ought to return to town, and make our preparations----" She looked with
a sly smile from Percival to Elizabeth, and paused. "When is it to be,
Lizzie?"

Elizabeth drew up her head haughtily and said nothing. Percival glanced
at her, and drew no good augury from the cold offence visible in her
face. There was an awkward silence, which Mrs. Heron thought it better
to dispel by rising from the table.

Percival smoked his morning cigar on the terrace with his father, and
wondered whether Elizabeth was not going to present herself and talk to
him. He was ready to be very penitent and make every possible sign of
submission to her wishes, for he felt that he had wronged her in his
mind, and that she might justly be offended with him if she guessed his
thoughts. He paced up and down, looking in impatiently at the windows
from time to time, but still she came not. At last, standing
disconsolately in the porch, he saw her passing through the hall with
little Jack in her arms, and the other boys hanging on to her dress,
quite in the old Gower-street fashion.

"Elizabeth, won't you come out?" he said.

"I can't, just now. I am going to give the children some lessons. I do
that, first thing."

"Always?"

"Ever since Mr. Stretton left," she said.

"Give them a holiday. I want you. There are lots of things we have to
talk about."

"Are there? I thought there was nothing left to say," said she, sweetly
but coldly. "But I am going to Dunmuir at half-past two this afternoon,
and you can drive down with me if you like."

She passed on, and shut herself into the study with the children.
Percival felt injured. "She should not have brought me all the way from
London if she had nothing to say," he grumbled. "I'll go back to-night.
And I might as well go and see Colquhoun this morning."

He went down to Mr. Colquhoun's office, and was not received very
cordially by that gentleman. The interview resulted in rather a violent
quarrel, which ended by Percival being requested to leave Mr.
Colquhoun's presence, and not return to it uninvited. Mr. Colquhoun
could not easily forgive him for neglecting to inform the Luttrells, at
the earliest opportunity, of Brian's reappea