. "Emily, I will leave you to talk to your
_old friend_. I dare say I shall see him again at luncheon?"

"I cannot stay to luncheon. My mother is expecting me," said Peter.

He would not express any thanks. What business had the presuming old
woman to invite him to luncheon? It was not her house, after all.

"Oh, your mother is expecting you," said Lady Tintern, whose slightly
derisive manner of repeating Peter's words embarrassed and annoyed the
young gentleman exceedingly. "I am glad you are such a dutiful son,
Sir Peter."

She gathered together her letters and her black draperies, and
tottered off to the door, which Peter, who was sadly negligent of _les
petits soins_ forgot to open for her; nor did he observe the indignant
look she favoured him with in consequence.

Sarah came into the drawing-room at last; fresh as the morning dew, in
her summer muslin and fluttering, embroidered ribbons; with a bunch of
forget-me-nots, blue as her eyes, nestling beneath her round, white
chin. Her bright hair was curled round her pretty ears and about her
fair throat, but Peter did not compare this _coiffure_ to a fashion
plate, though, indeed, it exactly resembled one. Neither did he cast
the severely critical glance upon Sarah's _toilette_ that he
had bestowed upon the soft, grey gown, and the cluster of white
moss-rosebuds which poor Lady Mary had ventured to wear that morning.

"How have you managed to offend Aunt Elizabeth, Peter?" cried Sarah,
with her usual frankness. "She is in the worst of humours."

"Sarah!" said her mother, reprovingly.

"Well, but she _is_," said Sarah. "She called him a cub and a bear,
and all sorts of things."

She looked at Peter and laughed, and he laughed back. The cloud of
sullenness had lifted from his brow as she appeared.

Mrs. Hewel overwhelmed him with unnecessary apologies. She could not
grasp the fact that her polite conversation was as dull and unmeaning
to the young man as Sarah's indiscreet nothings were interesting and
delightful.

"I'm sure I don't mind," said Peter; and his tone was quite alert and
cheerful. "She told me the country kept her awake. If she doesn't like
it, why does she come?"

"She has come to fetch me away," said Sarah. "And she came
unexpectedly, because she wanted to see for herself whether mamma was
really ill, or whether she was only shamming."

"Sarah!"

"And she has decided she is only shamming," said Sarah. "Unluckily,
mamma happened to be dow