between ten and eleven, it was absolutely
incumbent on him to write a leading article before he left it. He
had been in the reporter's gallery of the House all the evening,
and he had come away laden with his article. "It was certainly
better that we should remain up, than that the whole town should be
disappointed," said Sir Marmaduke, with something of a sneer.

"It is so very, very good of you to come," said Nora.

"Indeed, it is," said Lady Rowley; "but we were quite sure you would
come." Having kissed and blessed him as her son-in-law, Lady Rowley
was now prepared to love him almost as well as though he had been
Lord Peterborough.

"Perhaps, Mr. Stanbury, we had better show you this telegram," said
Sir Marmaduke, who had been standing with the scrap of paper in his
hand since the ring of the bell had been heard. Hugh took the message
and read it. "I do not know what should have made my daughter mention
your name," continued Sir Marmaduke;--"but as she has done so, and as
perhaps the unfortunate invalid himself may have alluded to you, we
thought it best to send for you."

"No doubt it was best, Sir Marmaduke."

"We are so situated that I cannot go. It is absolutely necessary that
we should leave town for Southampton on Friday week. The ship sails
on Saturday."

"I will go as a matter of course," said Hugh. "I will start at
once,--at any time. To tell the truth, when I got Lady Rowley's note,
I thought that it was to be so. Trevelyan and I were very intimate at
one time, and it may be that he will receive me without displeasure."

There was much to be discussed, and considerable difficulty in
the discussion. This was enhanced, too, by the feeling in the
minds of all of them that Hugh and Sir Marmaduke would not meet
again,--probably for many years. Were they to part now on terms of
close affection, or were they to part almost as strangers? Had Lucy
and Sophie not persistently remained up, Nora would have faced the
difficulty, and taken the bull by the horns, and asked her father to
sanction her engagement in the presence of her lover. But she could
not do it before so many persons, even though the persons were her
own nearest relatives. And then there arose another embarrassment.
Sir Marmaduke, who had taught himself to believe that Stanbury
was so poor as hardly to have the price of a dinner in his
pocket,--although, in fact, our friend Hugh was probably the richer
man of the two,--said something about def