ght to be scolded, even if they are a little
fractious."

"I quite agree with you, Sir," said Ayala. And so the fight went on
with sundry breaks and changes in the matter under discussion till
the station for Stalham had been reached. The old gentleman, indeed,
seemed to lose his voice before the journey was half over, but
the lady persevered, so that she and the Colonel became such fast
friends that she insisted on shaking hands with him when he left the
carriage.

"How could you be so wicked as to go on hoaxing her like that?" said
Ayala, as soon as they were on the platform.

"There was no hoax at all. I was quite in earnest. Was not every word
true that I said? Now come and get into the carriage quickly, or you
will be as bad as the old gentleman himself."

Ayala did get into the carriage quickly, where she found Nina.

The two girls were full of conversation as they went to Stalham; but
through it all Ayala could not refrain from thinking how the Jonathan
Stubbs of to-day had been exactly like that Jonathan Stubbs she had
first known,--and how very unlike a lover.

CHAPTER XLVII.

CAPTAIN BATSBY AT MERLE PARK.

When Ayala went to Stalham Captain Batsby went to Merle Park. They
had both been invited by Lady Tringle, and when the letter was
written to Ayala she was assured that Tom should not be there. At
that time Tom's last encounter with the police had not as yet become
known to the Tringles, and the necessity of keeping Tom at the house
in the country was not manifest. The idea had been that Captain
Batsby should have an opportunity of explaining himself to Ayala. The
Captain came; but, as to Ayala, Mrs. Dosett sent word to say that she
had been invited to stay some days just at that time with her friend
Lady Albury at Stalham.

What to do with Captain Batsby had been felt to be a difficulty by
Lady Albury. It was his habit to come to Stalham some time in March
and there finish the hunting season. It might be hoped that Ayala's
little affair might be arranged early in March, and then, whether he
came or whether he did not, it would be the same to Ayala. But the
Captain himself would be grievously irate when he should hear the
trick which would have been played upon him. Lady Albury had already
desired him not to come till after the first week in March, having
fabricated an excuse. She had been bound to keep the coast clear both
for Ayala's sake and the Colonel's; but she knew that when her tri