y do with her in London?" asked Norman.

"They did their utmost," said Ethel. "They made engagements for her, and
took her to parties and concerts--those she did enjoy very much and she
had lessons in drawing and music, but whenever she wanted to see any
exhibitions, or do anything, they always said there was time to spare. I
believe it was very charming, and she would have been very glad to stay,
but she never would promise, and she was always thinking of her positive
duty at home. She seemed afterwards to think of her wishes to remain
almost as if they had been a sin; but she said--dear little Meta--that
nothing had ever helped her so much as that she used to say to herself,
whenever she was going out, 'I renounce the world.' It came to a crisis
at last, when Lady Leonora wanted her to be presented--the Drawing-Room
was after the end of her three weeks--and she held out against it;
though her aunt laughed at her, and treated her as if she was a silly,
shy child. At last, what do you think Meta did? She went to her uncle,
Lord Cosham, and appealed to him to say whether there was the least
necessity for her to go to court."

"Then she gained the day?" said Norman.

"He was delighted with that spirited, yet coaxing way of hers, and
admired her determination. He told papa so himself--for you must know,
when he heard all Meta had to say, he called her a very good girl, and
said he would take her home himself on the Saturday she had fixed, and
spend Sunday at Abbotstoke. Oh! he was perfectly won by her sweet
ways. Was not it lucky? for before this Lady Leonora had written to Mr.
Rivers, and obtained from him a letter, which Meta had the next day,
desiring her to stay for the Drawing-Room. But Meta knew well enough how
it was, and was not to be conquered that way; so she said she must go
home to entertain her uncle, and that if her papa really wished it, she
would return on Monday."

"Knowing well that Mr. Rivers would be only too glad to keep her."

"Just so. How happy they both did look, when they came in here on their
way from the station where he had met her! How she danced in, and how
she sparkled with glee!" said Margaret, "and poor Mr. Rivers was quite
tremulous with the joy of having her back, hardly able to keep from
fondling her every minute, and coming again into the room after they had
taken leave, to tell me that his little girl had preferred her home, and
her poor old father, to all the pleasures in London.