."

"Do you like going walks with your father?"

"Oh, don't we!" An electric smile ran through the whole circle. It
told enough of the blessed home-tale.

Lady Caroline laughed a sharp laugh. "Eh, my dear, I see how things
are. You don't regret having married John Halifax, the tanner?"

"Regret!"

"Nay, be not impetuous. I always said he was a noble fellow--so does
the earl now. And William--you can't think what a hero your husband is
to William."

"Lord Ravenel?"

"Ay, my little brother that was--growing a young man now--a frightful
bigot, wanting to make our house as Catholic as when two or three of us
lost our heads for King James. But he is a good boy--poor William! I
had rather not talk about him."

Ursula inquired courteously if her Cousin Richard were well.

"Bah!--I suppose he is; he is always well. His late astonishing
honesty to Mr. Halifax cost him a fit of gout--mais n'importe. If they
meet, I suppose all things will be smooth between them?"

"My husband never had any ill-feeling to Mr. Brithwood."

"I should not bear him an undying enmity if he had. But you see, 'tis
election time, and the earl wishes to put in a gentleman, a friend of
ours, for Kingswell. Mr. Halifax owns some cottages there, eh?"

"Mr. Fletcher does. My husband transacts business--"

"Stop! stop!" cried Lady Caroline. "I don't understand business; I
only know that they want your husband to be friendly with mine. Is
this plain enough?"

"Certainly: be under no apprehension. Mr. Halifax never bears malice
against any one. Was this the reason of your visit, Lady Caroline?"

"Eh--mon Dieu! what would become of us if we were all as
straightforward as you, Mistress Ursula? But it sounds charming--in
the country. No, my dear; I came--nay, I hardly know why. Probably,
because I liked to come--my usual reason for most actions. Is that
your salle-a-manger? Won't you ask me to dinner, ma cousine?"

"Of course," the mother said, though I fancied, afterwards, the
invitation rather weighed upon her mind, probably from the doubt
whether or no John would like it. But in little things, as in great,
she had always this safe trust in him--that conscientiously to do what
she felt to be right was the surest way to be right in her husband's
eyes.

So Lady Caroline was our guest for the day--a novel guest--but she made
herself at once familiar and pleasant. Guy, a little gentleman from
his cradle, installed himself