her himself. Oh, the folly,
the density, of unmarried men! and, indeed," (with a sudden recollection
of the deceased Mr. Cunningham), "of the whole race of them! But of all
men I have ever known, I really think the most provoking is Charles."

"Musing?" inquired her nephew, sauntering up to her.

"I was thinking that we had just lost the pleasantest person of our
little party," said Lady Mary, viciously seizing up her work.

"I am still here," suggested Charles, by way of consolation. "I don't
start for Norway in Wyndham's yacht for three days to come."

"Do you mean to say you are going to Norway?"

"I forget whether it was to be Norway; but I know I'm booked to go
yachting somewhere. It's Wyndham's new toy. He paid through the parental
nose for it, and he made me promise in London to go with him on his
first cruise. I believe a very charming Miss Wyndham is to be of the
party."

"And how long, pray, are you going to yacht with Miss Wyndham?"

"It is with her brother I propose to go. I thought I had explained that
before. I shall probably cruise about, let me see, for three weeks or
so, till the grouse-shooting begins. Then I am due in Scotland, at the
Hope-Actons', and several other places."

Lady Mary laid down her work, and rose to her feet, her thin hand
closing tightly over the silver crook of her stick.

"Charles," she said, in a voice trembling with anger, looking him full
in the face, "you are a fool!" and she passed him without another word,
and hobbled away rapidly into the house.

"Am I?" said Charles, half aloud to himself, when the last fold of her
garment had been twitched out of sight through the window.

"_Am I?_ Molly," with great gravity, as Molly appeared, "yes, you may sit
on my knee; but don't wriggle. Molly, what is a fool?"

"I think it's Raca, only worse," said Molly. "Uncle Charles, Mr. Dare is
going away too. His dog-cart had just come into the yard."

"Has it? I hope he won't keep it waiting."

"You are not going away, are you?"

"Not for three days more."

"Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Why, they will be gone in a moment."

But to Charles they seemed three very long days indeed. He was annoyed
with himself for having made so many engagements before he left London.
At the time there did not seem anything better to be done, and he
supposed he must go somewhere; but now he thought he would have liked to
stay on at Atherstone, though he would not have said so to Lady Mary for