,
where Mrs. Holmby would gladly have sent him if bodily terror would have
permitted her to dismiss her cavalier.

Miss Charlecote and Phoebe, being among the best and briskest of the
female walkers, were the first to enter the town, and there, in the
_Place des Palmiers_, looking about him as if he were greatly amazed at
himself, they beheld no other than the well-known figure of Sir John
Raymond, standing beside the Major, who was sunning himself under the
palm-trees.

'Miss Charlecote, how are you? How d'ye do, Miss Fulmort? Is your
sister quite well again? Where's my little niece?'

'Only a little way behind with Bertha.'

'Well, we never thought to meet in such a place, did we? What a country
of stones I have come over to-day, enough to break the heart of a farmer;
and the very sheep are no better than goats! Vineyards? What they call
vineyards are old black stumps that ought to be grubbed up for firewood!'

'Nay, I was struck by the wonderful cultivation of every available inch
of ground. It speaks well for the Provencals, if we judge by the
proverb, "_Autant vaut l'homme que vaut sa terre_."'

'Ah! there she comes;' and he hastened to join Cecily, while the deserted
Bertha, coming up to her sister, muttered, 'Wretched girl! I hear she
had written to him to fetch her home. That was what made her stay so
quietly, was it?'

No one could accuse Mervyn of indifference who saw the blank look that
overspread his face on hearing of Sir John's arrival, but he said not a
word, only hurried away to dress for the _table d'hote_. The first
notice the anxious ladies had that the tedious dinner was broken up, was
a knock at their door, and Cecily's entrance, looking exceedingly white,
and speaking very low. 'I am come to wish you good-bye,' she said.
'Uncle John has been so kind as to come for me, and I believe we shall
set out to-morrow.'

Maria alone could dare to shriek out, 'Oh! but you promised to show me
how to make a crown of my pink heaths, and I have been out with Lieschen,
and gathered such beauties!'

'If you will come with me to my room I will show you while I pack up,'
said Cecily, reducing Bertha to despair by this most effectual barrier to
confidence; but she entreated leave to follow, since seeing Cecily
playing with Maria was better than not seeing her at all.

After some time, Mervyn came in, flushed and breathless, and Honor kindly
made an excuse for leaving him alone with Phoebe. Afte