ght, dark
blue eyes. From her father Sarah had inherited her colouring, her
short nose, and her unfailing good spirits.

"I would have come over to welcome you," he said, shaking Peter's hand
cordially, "only when I came home there was all the upset of Lady
Tintern's arrival, and half a hundred things to be done to make her
sufficiently comfortable. And then I would have come to fetch Sarah
after dinner, only I couldn't be sure she mightn't have started; and
if I'd gone down by the road, ten to one she'd have come up by the
path through the woods. So I just sat down and smoked my pipe, and
waited for her to come back. You'll stay to lunch, eh, Peter?"

"I must get back to my mother, sir," said Peter. His respect for
Sarah's father, who had once commanded a cavalry regiment, had
increased a thousand-fold since he last saw Colonel Hewel. "But won't
you--I mean she'd be very glad--I wish you'd come over and dine
to-night, all of you--as you could not come yesterday evening?"

Thus Peter delivered his first invitation, blushing with eagerness.

"I'm afraid we couldn't leave Lady Tintern--or persuade her to come
with us," said the colonel, shaking his head. Then he brightened up.
"But as soon as she and Sally have toddled back to town I see no
reason why we shouldn't come, eh, Emily?" he said, turning to his
wife.

Peter looked rather blank, and a laugh trembled on Sarah's pretty
lips.

"You know I'm not strong enough to dine out, Tom," said his wife,
peevishly. "I can't drive so far, and I'm terrified of the ferry at
night, with those slippery banks."

"Well, well, there's plenty of time before us. Later on you may get
better; and I don't suppose you'll be running away again in a hurry,
eh, Peter?" said the colonel. "I'm told you made a capital speech
yesterday about sticking to your home, and living on your land, as
your father, poor fellow, did before you."

"I wish Sarah felt as you do, Peter," said Mrs. Hewel; "but, of
course, she has grown too grand for us, who live contentedly in the
country all the year round. Her home is nothing to her now, it seems;
and the only thing she thinks of is rushing back to London again as
fast as she can."

Sarah, contrary to her wont, received this attack in silence; but she
bestowed a fond squeeze on her father's arm, and cast an appealing
glance at Peter, which caused the hero's heart to leap in his bosom.

"Of course I mean to live at Barracombe," said Peter, polishing h