den is at home," said the maid, "but there are friends with
her." Nevertheless she showed the young lord up to the drawing-room.
There were friends indeed. It was Mrs. Vincent's day for coming,
and she was in the room. That alone would not have been much, but
with the two elder ladies was seated Marion Fay. So far at any
rate Fortune had favoured him. But now there was a difficulty in
explaining his purpose. He could not very well give his general
invitation,--general at any rate as regarded Marion Fay,--before Mrs.
Vincent.

Of course there was an introduction. Mrs. Vincent, who had often
heard Lord Hampstead's name, in spite of her general severity, was
open to the allurements of nobility. She was glad to meet the young
man, although she had strong reasons for believing that he was not a
tower of strength on matters of Faith. Hampstead and Marion Fay shook
hands as though they were old friends, and then the conversation
naturally fell upon George Roden.

"You didn't expect my son, I hope," said the mother.

"Oh, dear no! I had a message to leave for him, which will do just as
well in a note."

This was to some extent unfortunate, because it made both Mrs.
Vincent and Marion feel that they were in the way.

"I think I'll send Betsy down for the brougham," said the former.
The brougham which brought Mrs. Vincent was always in the habit of
retiring round the corner to the "Duchess of Edinburgh," where the
driver had succeeded in creating for himself quite an intimacy.

"Pray do not stir, madam," said Hampstead, for he had perceived
from certain preparations made by Miss Fay that she would find it
necessary to follow Mrs. Vincent out of the room. "I will write two
words for Roden, and that will tell him all I have to say."

Then the elder ladies went back to the matter they were discussing
before Lord Hampstead had appeared. "I was asking this young lady,"
said Mrs. Vincent, "to come with me for two or three days down to
Brighton. It is absolutely the fact that she has never seen
Brighton."

As Mrs. Vincent went to Brighton twice annually, for a month at the
beginning of the winter and then again for a fortnight in the spring,
it seemed to her a wonderful thing that any one living, even at
Holloway, should never have seen the place.

"I think it would be a very good thing," said Mrs. Roden,--"if your
father can spare you."

"I never leave my father," said Marion.

"Don't you think, my lord," said Mrs. Vince