owley. It may be presumed that a glimmer of light did make its way
into Mrs. Stanbury's mind on the subject; but up to the moment at
which the three travellers arrived, she had been in doubt on the
subject. Mr. Glascock had declared that he would take a walk, and
in the course of the afternoon had expressed high approval of Mrs.
Crocket's culinary skill. When Mrs. Crocket heard that she had
entertained the son of a lord, she was very loud in her praise of the
manner in which he had eaten two mutton chops and called for a third.
He had thought it no disgrace to apply himself to the second half
of an apple pie, and had professed himself to be an ardent admirer
of Devonshire cream. "It's them counter-skippers as turns up their
little noses at the victuals as is set before them," said Mrs.
Crocket.

After his dinner Mr. Glascock had returned to the Clock House, and
had been sitting there for an hour with Mrs. Stanbury, not much to
her delight or to his, when the carriage was driven up to the door.

"He is to go back to Lessboro' to-night," said Mrs. Stanbury in a
whisper.

"Of course you must see him before he goes," said Mrs. Trevelyan to
her sister. There had, as was natural, been very much said between
the two sisters about Mr. Glascock. Nora had abstained from asserting
in any decided way that she disliked the man, and had always
absolutely refused to allow Hugh Stanbury's name to be mixed up with
the question. Whatever might be her own thoughts about Hugh Stanbury
she had kept them even from her sister. When her sister had told her
that she had refused Mr. Glascock because of Hugh, she had shown
herself to be indignant, and had since that said one or two fine
things as to her capacity to refuse a brilliant offer simply because
the man who had made it was indifferent to her. Mrs. Trevelyan had
learned from her that her suitor had declared his intention to
persevere; and here was perseverance with a vengeance! "Of course you
must see him,--at once," said Mrs. Trevelyan. Nora for a few seconds
had remained silent, and then had run up to her room. Her sister
followed her instantly.

"What is the meaning of it all?" said Priscilla to her mother.

"I suppose he is in love with Miss Rowley," said Mrs. Stanbury.

"But who is he?"

Then Mrs. Stanbury told all that she knew. She had seen from his
card that he was an Honourable Mr. Glascock. She had collected from
what he had said that he was an old friend of the two lad