hen Mrs. Ross winced slightly. She was glad that Mrs. Charrington was
that moment announced--she was a pleasant chatty woman, and always paid
long visits: Geraldine was her special favourite. As the news of the
engagement had not yet reached her, the talk was confined to certain
local interests: a new grant of books to the library, the difficulty of
finding a butler, and the lameness of one of Dr. Ross's carriage-horses;
and Mrs. Ross was in this manner relieved from any more awkward
questions.

Her husband was her only confidant, and to him she did disburden
herself.

'I do wish that Mrs. Blake were a different sort of woman, John,' she
observed that night. 'She is very handsome and amusing; but she is
certainly too unrestrained in her talk.'

'We must take folk as we find them, Emmie,' returned Dr. Ross quietly.
'Mrs. Blake is not your sort. In spite of having a grown-up son, she is
not quite grown-up herself: middle-aged people ought not to talk out all
their feelings as though they were children. But she is a very pleasing
person for all that.'

'So I always thought; but she tires one. Not that I would let Audrey
know that.'

'Oh, Audrey would keep a dozen Mrs. Blakes in order,' was her husband's
response; and then Mrs. Ross said no more.

Geraldine kept her word, and about a week later Cyril Blake received a
civil little note, asking him to dine at Hillside on the following
evening.

'We shall be quite by ourselves. It will be only a family party--just my
husband's brother, Mr. Walter Harcourt, and his wife;' for the Walter
Harcourts had come on a visit.

Cyril looked a little grave as he showed the note to Audrey.

'I suppose I must go; but it will be very terrible. I don't mind telling
you, Audrey, that I am awfully afraid of your sister.'

'Poor fellow!' returned Audrey, with one of her charming smiles; 'I wish
I could spare you this ordeal. But I can give you one bit of comfort:
Gage will behave very nicely to you.' And though Cyril still felt a
little dubious on this point, he was obliged to own afterwards that she
was right.

The evening was a far pleasanter one than he expected. Mr. Harcourt was
thawed by his brother's presence, and though there was a slight
stiffness and reserve in his manner to Cyril, there was no
aggressiveness; and Geraldine was too much of a gentlewoman to behave
ungraciously to any guest. Both of them were quite civil to Cyril,
though they could not be said to be demonst