mind, his position at the table made very little
difference to him.

The lunch was eaten in grim silence. Sir Thomas was not a man profuse
with conversation at his meals, and at this moment was ill-inclined
for any words except what he might use in scolding his wife for being
uncivil to his guest. Lady Tringle sat with her head erect, hardly
opening her mouth sufficiently to allow the food to enter it. It was
her purpose to show her displeasure at Mr. Hamel, and she showed it.
Augusta took her mother's part, thoroughly despising the two Dormer
girls and any lover that they might have. Poor Gertrude had on that
morning been violently persecuted by a lecture as to Frank Houston's
impecuniosity. Lucy of course would not speak. The Honourable
Septimus was anxious chiefly about his lunch,--somewhat anxious also
to offend neither the master nor the mistress of Merle Park. Hamel
made one or two little efforts to extract answers from Sir Thomas,
but soon found that Sir Thomas would prefer to be left in silence.
What did it signify to him? He had done all that he wanted, and much
more than he had expected.

The rising and getting away from luncheon is always a difficulty,--so
great a difficulty when there are guests that lunch should never be
much a company festival. There is no provision for leaving the table
as there is at dinner. But on this occasion Lady Tringle extemporised
provision the first moment in which they had all ceased to eat. "Mr.
Hamel," she said very loudly, "would you like some cheese?" Mr.
Hamel, with a little start, declared that he wanted no cheese. "Then,
my dears, I think we will go into my room. Lucy, will you come with
me?" Upon this the four ladies all went out in procession, but her
ladyship was careful that Lucy should go first so that there might
be no possibility of escape. Augusta and Gertrude followed her. The
minds of all the four were somewhat perturbed; but among the four
Lucy's heart was by far the lightest.

"Are you staying over with Stubbs at that cottage?" asked the
Honourable Septimus. "A very queer fellow is Stubbs."

"A very good fellow," said Hamel.

"I dare say. He hasn't got any shooting?"

"I think not."

"Not a head. Glentower wouldn't let an acre of shooting over there
for any money." This was the Earl of Glentower, to whom belonged an
enormous tract of country on the other side of the lake. "What on
earth does he do with himself stuck up on the top of those rocks?"

"