ady. I--I
have been very lonely--since--since Peter came home. I think it was
Sarah who persuaded him to go away again so soon. I believe she
laughed at his clothes."

"I suppose they _were_ a little out of date, and he must surely have
outgrown them, besides," said John, smiling.

"I suppose so; anyway, I think it must have been that which put it
into his head to go to London and buy more. It was a little awkward
for the poor boy, because he had just been scolding _me_ for wishing
to go to London. But he said he would only be a few days."

"And he stayed to the end of the season?"

"Yes. Of course the aunts put it down to Sarah. I dare say it _was_
her doing. I don't know why she should wish to rob me of my boy just
for--amusement," said Lady Mary, rather resentfully. "But I have not
understood Sarah lately; she has seemed so hard and flippant. You are
laughing, John? I dare say I am jealous and inconsistent. You are
quite right. One moment I want to think Sarah in earnest--and willing
to marry my boy; and the next I remember that I began to hate his wife
the very day he was born."

"It appears to be the nature of mothers," said John, indulgently.
"But you will allow _me_ to hope for Peter's happiness, and quite
incidentally, of course, for our own?"

She smiled. "Seriously, John, I wish you would tell me how he got on
in London."

"He dined with me once or twice, as you know," said John, "and was
very friendly. I think he was relieved that I made no suggestion of
tutors or universities, and that I took his eyeglass for granted. In
short, that I treated him as I should treat any other young man of my
acquaintance; whereas he had greatly feared I might presume upon my
guardianship to give him good advice. But I did not, because he is too
young to want advice just now, and prefers, like most of us, to buy
his own experience."

"I hope he was really nice to you. You won't hide anything? You'll
tell me exactly?"

"I am hiding nothing. The lad is a good lad at bottom, and a manly one
into the bargain," said John. "His defects are of the kind which get
up, so to speak, and hit you in the eye; and are, consequently, not
of a kind to escape observation. What is obviously wrong is easiest
cured. He has yet to learn that 'manners maketh man,' but he was
learning it as fast as possible. The mistakes of youth are rather
pathetic than annoying."

"Sometimes," said Lady Mary.

"He fell, very naturally, into most of t