see me; but you have shown
few signs of wishing it of late."

"Frank--if I could make you understand--"

They were walking towards a recess, when Lady Tyrrell fastened upon
Raymond. "Pray find my sister; she forgets that we have to be at
Lady Granby's--Oh! are you there, Lenore! Will you see her down,
Mr. Poynsett? Well, Frank, did you get as far as you intended?"

And she went down on his arm, her last words being, "Take care of
yourself till we meet at home. For this one year I call Sirenwood
home--then!"

Raymond and Lenore said no more to one another. The ladies were put
into the carriage. The elder brother bade Frank take care of Cecil,
and started for Westminster with the poor lad's blank and
disappointed face still before his eyes, hoping at least it was well
for him, but little in love with life, or what it had to offer.

CHAPTER XXI
Awfully Jolly

When life becomes a spasm,
And history a whiz,
If that is not sensation,
I don't know what it is.--LEWIS CARROLL

"Is Lady Rosamond at home?"

"No, ma'am."

"Nor Mrs. Charnock?"

"No, ma'am; they are both gone down to the Rectory."

"Would you ask whether Mrs. Poynsett would like to see me?"

"I'll inquire, ma'am, if you will walk in," said Mr. Jenkins moved
by the wearied and heated looks of Miss Vivian, who had evidently
come on foot at the unseasonable visiting hour of 11.15 a.m.

The drawing-room was empty, but, with windows open on the shady
side, was most inviting to one who had just become unpleasantly
aware that her walking capacity had diminished under the stress of a
London season, and that a very hampering one. She was glad of the
rest, but it lasted long enough to be lost in the uncomfortable
consciousness that hers was too truly a morning call, and she would
have risen and escaped had not that been worse.

At last the door of communication opened, and to her amazement Mrs.
Poynsett was pushed into the room by her maid in a wheeled chair.
"Yes, my dear," she said, in reply to Eleonora's exclamation of
surprise and congratulation, "this is my dear daughters'
achievement; Rosamond planned and Anne contrived, and they both
coaxed my lazy bones."

"I am so very glad! I had no notion I should see you out of your
room."

"Such is one's self-importance! I thought the fame would have
reached you at least."

"Ah, you don't know how little I see of any one I can hear from!
And now I am afraid I have disturbed you t