Mrs. Orme, will you let me ask you
a favour? Perhaps you will not say anything about my coming here.
I have been very unhappy; I have indeed; and--" Mrs. Furnival's
handkerchief was now up at her eyes, and Mrs. Orme's heart was again
full of pity. Of course she gave the required promise; and, looking
to the character of the woman, we may say that, of course, she kept
it.

"Mrs. Furnival! What was she here about?" Peregrine asked of his
mother.

"I would rather not tell you, Perry," said his mother, kissing him;
and then there were no more words spoken on the subject.

Mrs. Furnival as she made her journey back to London began to dislike
Martha Biggs more and more, and most unjustly attributed to that lady
in her thoughts the folly of this journey to Hamworth. The journey
to Hamworth had been her own doing, and had the idea originated with
Miss Biggs the journey would never have been made. As it was, while
she was yet in the train, she came to the strong resolution of
returning direct from the London station to her own house in Harley
Street. It would be best to cut the knot at once, and thus by a bold
stroke of the knife rid herself of the Orange Street rooms and Miss
Biggs at the same time. She did drive to Harley Street, and on her
arrival at her own door was informed by the astonished Spooner that,
"Master was at home,--all alone in the dining-room. He was going to
dine at home, and seemed very lonely like." There, as she stood in
the hall, there was nothing but the door between her and her husband,
and she conceived that the sound of her arrival must have been
heard by him. For a moment her courage was weak, and she thought of
hurrying up stairs. Had she done so her trouble would still have been
all before her. Some idea of this came upon her mind, and after a
moment's pause, she opened the dining-room door and found herself
in her husband's presence. He was sitting over the fire in his
arm-chair, very gloomily, and had not heard the arrival. He too had
some tenderness left in his heart, and this going away of his wife
had distressed him.

"Tom," she said, going up to him, and speaking in a low voice, "I
have come back again." And she stood before him as a suppliant.

CHAPTER LII

SHOWING HOW THINGS WENT ON AT NONINGSBY

Yes, Lady Staveley had known it before. She had given a fairly
correct guess at the state of her daughter's affections, though
she had not perhaps acknowledged to herself the inten