r Sir Harry kept him
talking about Captain Duncombe's wonderful colt, till Cecil had
driven off one way, and their two hostesses the other; and he could
only ride home to tell his mother how he had sped.

Better than Rosamond, better even than Charlie, was his mother as a
confidante; and though she had been surprised into her affectionate
acceptance of Eleonora, it was an indescribable delight to mother
and son to find themselves once more in full sympathy; while he
poured out all that had been pent up ever since his winter at
Rockpier. She almost made common cause with him in the question,
what would Raymond say? And it proved to be news to her that her
eldest son was to be immediately expected at home. Cecil had not
come to see her, and had sent her no message; but ungracious
inattention was not so uncommon as to excite much remark from one
who never wished to take heed to it; and it was soon forgotten in
the praise of Eleonora.

Cecil meanwhile was receiving Raymond at the station. He was
pleased to see her there in her pony-carriage, but a little startled
by the brief coldness of her reply to his inquiry after his mother,
and the tight compression of her lips all the time they were making
their way through the town, where, as usual, he was hailed every two
or three minutes by persons wanting a word with him. When at last
there was a free space, she began: "Raymond, I wish to know whether
you mean me to be set at naught, and my friends deliberately
insulted?"

"What?"

A gentleman here hurried up with "I'll not detain you a minute."

He did, however, keep them for what seemed a great many, to the
chafing spirit which thought a husband should have no ears save for
his wife's wrongs; so she made her preface even more startling--
"Raymond, I cannot remain in the house any longer with Lady Rosamond
Charnock and those intolerable brothers of hers!"

"Perhaps you will explain yourself," said Raymond, almost relieved
by the evident exaggeration of the expressions.

"There has been a conspiracy to thwart and insult me--a regular
conspiracy!"

"Cecil! let me understand you. What can have happened?"

"When I arranged an evening for my friends to meet Mrs. Tallboys, I
did not expect to have it swamped by a pack of children, and noisy
nonsensical games, nor that both she and I should be insulted by
practical jokes and a personal charade."

"A party to meet Mrs. Tallboys?"

"A ladies' party, a conversazione