took a fancy to her abroad; and to say the truth, I did not wish to
object, for at one time there seemed to be an attraction between Ralph
and his cousin Evelyn Derrick, which his aunt and I were both glad to
think had passed over. I do not approve of marriages between cousins."

We had reached the lodge by this time, and I was shown a tidy little
room leading out of the one Ralph was occupying, in which I assured Sir
George that Carr would be perfectly comfortable, much to the courteous
old gentleman's relief, though I could see that he was evidently annoyed
at not being able to put him up in the house.

In the afternoon, towards five o'clock, Carr arrived. I went into the
hall to meet him, and to bring him into the drawing-room myself. Just as
we came in, and while I was introducing him to Sir George, Ralph and
Aurelia, who were sitting together as usual, started a lovers' squabble.

"Oh _my_!" said Ralph, suddenly.

"It is all your fault. You jogged my elbow," came Aurelia's quick
rejoinder.

"My dearest love, I did _not_," returned Ralph, on his knees,
pocket-handkerchief in hand.

It appeared that between them they had managed to transfer Amelia's tea
from her cup to the front of her dress.

"You did; you know you did," she said, evidently ready to cry with
vexation. "I was just going to drink, and you had your arm round the
back of my--"

"Hush, Aurelia, I beg," expostulated Charles. "Aunt Mary and I are
becoming embarrassed. It is not necessary to enter into particulars as
to the exact locality of Ralph's arm."

"Round the back of my chair," pouted Aurelia.

"It is all right, Aunt Mary," called Charles, cheerfully, to that lady.
"Only the back of her _chair_. We took alarm unnecessarily. Just as it
should be. I have done the same myself with--a different chair."

"He is _always_ doing it," continued Aurelia, unmollified. "I have told
him about it before. He made me drop a piece of bread and butter on the
carpet only yesterday."

"I ate it afterwards," humbly suggested Ralph, still on his knees, "and
there were hairs in it. There were, indeed, Aurelia."

"And now it is my tea-gown," continued Aurelia, giving way to the
prettiest little outburst of temper imaginable. "I wish you would get up
and go away, Ralph, and not come back. You are only making it worse by
rubbing it in that silly way with your wet handkerchief."

"Here is another," said Charles, snatching up Lady Mary's delicate
cambric one