recover from his offence as he best likes."

"My dear fellow; that's talking wildly, you know."

"What on earth do you suppose the earl can do to me? Do you think
I'm going to live in fear of Lord de Courcy all my life, because I'm
going to marry his daughter? I shall write to Alexandrina myself
to-day, and you can tell her sister so. I'll be up to dinner on
Sunday, unless my face makes it altogether out of the question."

"And you won't come in time for church?"

"Would you have me go to church with such a face as this?"

Then Mr Mortimer Gazebee went, and when he got home, he told his wife
that Crosbie was taking things with a high hand. "The fact is, my
dear, that he's ashamed of himself, and therefore tries to put a bold
face upon it."

"It was very foolish of him throwing himself in the way of that young
man,--very; and so I shall tell him on Sunday. If he chooses to give
himself airs to me, I shall make him understand that he is very
wrong. He should remember now that the way in which he conducts
himself is a matter of moment to all our family."

"Of course he should," said Mr Gazebee.

When the Sunday came the red-streaky period had arrived, but had by
no means as yet passed away. The men at the office had almost become
used to it; but Crosbie, in spite of his determination to go down to
the club, had not yet shown himself elsewhere. Of course he did not
go to church, but at five he made his appearance at the house in St.
John's Wood. They always dined at five on Sundays, having some idea
that by doing so they kept the Sabbath better than they would have
done had they dined at seven. If keeping the Sabbath consists in
going to bed early, or is in any way assisted by such a practice,
they were right. To the cook that semi-early dinner might perhaps be
convenient, as it gave her an excuse for not going to church in the
afternoon, as the servants' and children's dinner gave her a similar
excuse in the morning. Such little attempts at goodness,--proceeding
half the way, or perhaps, as in this instance, one quarter of the
way, on the disagreeable path towards goodness,--are very common with
respectable people, such as Lady Amelia. If she would have dined at
one o'clock, and have eaten cold meat one perhaps might have felt
that she was entitled to some praise.

"Dear, dear, dear; this is very sad, isn't it, Adolphus?" she said on
first seeing him.

"Well, it is sad, Amelia," he said. He always called her A