ame in his way; but I flatter myself
there's one man in the room who has some notion of the difference there
is between the greater and the less."

"Harold would not thank you," I said.

"Not he. So much the more reason that you should take care he comes to
the front."

Dermot did Eustace a little injustice in fancying he wanted to suppress
Harold. He never did. He was far too well satisfied with his own
great personality to think that anyone could interfere with it; and
having asked everyone in the room, ladies and all, to the inspection
and the luncheon, discoursed to me about it all the way home, and would
almost have made me and all the servants stay up all night to prepare.
Harold, who was still up when we came home, received the tidings
equably, only saying he would go down to Yolland the first thing in the
morning and get things made tidy. "And don't bother Lucy," he added,
as we went upstairs.

Well, the supplies were contrived, and the table laid without anyone
being quite distracted. From Richardson downwards, we all had learnt
to take our own way, while the master talked, and Mrs. Alison was
really very happy, making delicate biscuits after a receipt of her own.
Things came to a point where I was sure they would finish themselves
off more happily without either of us, and though one idle female more
might not be desirable, I thought at least I might prevent Harold's
effacement, and went down to Mycening with Eustace to receive the
guests.

Sure enough, Harold was not in the entrance yard, nor the
superintendent's office. Mr. Yolland was there, looking grim and
bored, and on inquiry being made, said that Mr. Harold had insisted on
his being on the spot, but was himself helping the men to clear the
space whence it would be easiest to see the action of the machinery. I
made a rush after him, and found him all over dust, dragging a huge
crate into a corner, and to my entreaty he merely replied, pushing back
his straw hat, "I must see to this, or we shall have everything
smashed."

The carriages were coming, and I could only pick my way back by the
shortest route, through stacks of drain-tiles and columns of
garden-pots, to Eustace, who, becoming afraid it would seem as if he
were keeping shop, was squeezing down the fingers of his left-hand
glove, while impressing on Mr. Yolland and me that everyone must
understand he was only there as chairman of the directors.

The people came, and were conduct