r diligently
tossing a book from one hand to the other for some minutes, he observed,
_sotto voce_, 'That's a more decent old fellow than I gave him credit
for.'

'Who, Sir John?'

'Aye.'

And that was the whole result of the _tete-a-tete_. He was in no mood
for questions, and marched out of the room for a moonlight cigar. Phoebe
only remained with the conviction that something had happened.

Miss Charlecote was more fortunate. She had met the Baronet in the
passage, and was accosted by him with, 'Do you ever do such a thing as
take a turn on that terrace?'

It was a welcome invitation, and in no more time than it took to fetch a
shawl, the two old friends were pacing the paved terrace together.

'Well, what do you think of him?' began Sir John. 'There must be more
good in him than I thought.'

'Much more than I thought.'

'He has been speaking to me, and I can't say but that I was sorry for
him, though why it should have gone so hard with so sensible and good a
girl as Cecily to give up such a scamp, I never could guess! I told
George that seeing what I saw of him, and knowing what I knew, I could
think it nothing better than a sacrifice to give her to him!'

'Exactly what I thought!'

'After the way he had used her, too--talking nonsense to her, and then
playing fast and loose, trying his luck with half the young ladies in
London, and then fancying she would be thankful to him as soon as he
wanted a wife to keep house! Poor child, that would not have weighed
with her a moment though--it puts me out of patience to know how fond she
is of him--but for his scampishness, which made it a clear duty to refuse
him. Very well she behaved, poor thing, but you see how she pined
away--though her mother tells me that not a fretful word was ever heard
from her, as active and patient and cheerful as ever. Then the Holmbys
took her abroad, the only thing to save her health, but I never trusted
the woman, and when by and by she writes to her father that Fulmort was
coming, and her aunt would not take her away, "George," I said, "never
mind; I'll go at once, and bring her home--she shall not be kept there to
be torn to pieces between her feelings and her duty." And now I am come,
I declare I don't know what to be at--I should think nothing of it if the
lad only talked of reforming--but he looks so downcast, and owns so
honestly that we were quite right, and then that excellent little sister
of his is so fond of h