bound not to give offence to Sir Harry. At
last the door was opened, and with silent step, and grave demeanour,
and solemn countenance, Lady Elizabeth walked into the room. "We are
very sorry that you should have been kept so long waiting, Captain
Hotspur," she said.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE NEW SMITHY.

Sir Harry was sitting alone in the library when the tidings were
brought to him that George Hotspur had reached Humblethwaite with
a pair of post-horses from Penrith. The old butler, Cloudesdale,
brought him the news, and Cloudesdale whispered it into his ears with
solemn sorrow. Cloudesdale was well aware that Cousin George was no
credit to the house of Humblethwaite. And much about the same time
the information was brought to Lady Elizabeth by her housekeeper, and
to Emily by her own maid. It was by Cloudesdale's orders that George
was shown into the small room near the hall; and he told Sir Harry
what he had done in a funereal whisper. Lady Altringham had been
quite right in her method of ensuring the general delivery of the
information about the house.

Emily flew at once to her mother. "George is here," she said. Mrs.
Quick, the housekeeper, was at that moment leaving the room.

"So Quick tells me. What can have brought him, my dear?"

"Why should he not come, Mamma?"

"Because your papa will not make him welcome to the house. Oh,
dear,--he knows that. What are we to do?" In a few minutes Mrs. Quick
came back again. Sir Harry would be much obliged if her ladyship
would go to him. Then it was that the sandwiches and sherry were
ordered. It was a compromise on the part of Lady Elizabeth between
Emily's prayer that some welcome might be shown, and Sir Harry's
presumed determination that the banished man should continue to be
regarded as banished. "Take him some kind of refreshment, Quick;--a
glass of wine or something, you know." Then Mrs. Quick had cut the
sandwiches with her own hand, and Cloudesdale had given the sherry.
"He ain't eaten much, but he's made it up with the wine," said
Cloudesdale, when the tray was brought back again.

Lady Elizabeth went down to her husband, and there was a
consultation. Sir Harry was quite clear that he would not now, on
this day, admit Cousin George as a guest into his house; nor would he
see him. To that conclusion he came after his wife had been with him
some time. He would not see him, there, at Humblethwaite. If George
had anything to say that could not be said in