ferred the
offer to her sister. Phoebe demurred, on more accounts than she could
mention, but her mother remembering what a drive in a stylish equipage
with a military baronet would once have been to herself, overruled her
objections, and hurried her away to prepare. She quickly returned, a
cheery spectacle in her russet dress and brown straw bonnet, and her
scarlet neck-tie, the robin redbreast's livery which she loved.

'Your cheeks should be a refreshing sight to the Londoners, Phoebe,' said
Sir Bevil, with his rare, but most pleasant smile. 'Where shall we go?
You don't seem much to care for the Park. I'm at your service wherever
you like to go.' And as Phoebe hesitated, with cheeks trebly beneficial
to the Londoners, he kindly added, 'Well, what is it? Never mind what!
I'm open to anything--even Madame Tussaud's.'

'If I might go to see Robert. Augusta said he was looking ill.'

'My dear!' interposed her mother, 'you can't think of it. Such a
dreadful place, and such a distance.'

'It is only a little way beyond St. Paul's, and there are no bad streets,
dear mamma. I have been there with Miss Charlecote. But if it be too
far, or you don't like driving into the City, never mind,' she continued,
turning to Sir Bevil; 'I ought to have said nothing about it.'

But Sir Bevil, reading the ardour of the wish in the honest face,
pronounced the expedition an excellent idea, and carried her off with her
eyes as round and sparkling as those of the children going to Christmas
parties. He stole glances at her as if her fresh innocent looks were an
absolute treat to him, and when he talked, it was of Robert in his
boyhood. 'I remember him at twelve years old, a sturdy young ruffian,
with an excellent notion of standing up for himself.'

Phoebe listened with delight to some characteristic anecdotes of Robert's
youth, and wondered whether he would be appreciated now. She did not
think Sir Bevil held the same opinions as Robert or Miss Charlecote; he
was an upright, high-minded soldier, with honour and subordination his
chief religion, and not likely to enter into Robert's peculiarities. She
was in some difficulty when she was asked whether her brother were not
under some cloud, or had not been taking a line of his own--a gentler
form of inquiry, which she could answer with the simple truth.

'Yes, he would not take a share in the business, because he thought it
promoted evil, and he felt it right to do parish w