“Oh, how beautiful!” said Maria, in astonishment.

“Yes,” answered the old gentleman as he took his seat at the head of the table, placing Maria on his right, “the plate is very fine, it has taken two hundred years to get together; but my father did more in that way than all of us put together, he spent ten thousand pounds on plate during his lifetime; that gold service on the sideboard belonged to him.  I have only spent two.  Mind, my love,” he added in a low voice, “when it comes into your keeping that it is preserved intact; but I don’t recommend you to add to it, there is too much already for a simple country gentleman’s family.”

Maria blushed and was silent.

The dinner, which was served on a most magnificent scale, wore itself away, as all big county-dinners do, in bursts of sedate but not profoundly interesting conversation.  Indeed, had it not been for the novelty of the sight, Maria would have been rather bored, the squire’s stately compliments notwithstanding.  As it was, she felt inclined to envy the party at the other end, amongst whom, looking down the long vista of sparkling glass and silver, she could now and again catch sight of Philip’s face beaming with animation, and even in the pauses of conversation hear the echo of his distant laughter.

“What good spirits he is in!” she thought to herself.

And, indeed, Philip was, or appeared to be, in excellent spirits.  His handsome face, that of late had been so gloomy, was lit up with laughter, and he contrived by his witty talk to keep those round him in continual merriment.

“Philip seems very happy, doesn’t he,” said George, sotto voce to Mrs. Bellamy, who was sitting next to him.

“You must be a very bad judge of the face as an index to the mind if you think that he is happy.  I have been watching him all dinner, and I draw a very different conclusion.”

“Why, look how he is laughing.”

“Have you never seen a man laugh to hide his misery; never mind his lips, watch his eyes:  they are dilated with fear, see how he keeps glancing towards his father and Miss Lee.  There, did you see him start?  Believe me he is not happy, and unless I am mistaken he will be even less so before the night is over.  We are not all asked here for nothing.”

“I hope not, I hope not; if so we shall have to act upon our information, eh!  But, to change the subject, you look lovely to-night.”

“Of course I do, I am lovely; I wish I could return the compliment, but conscientiously I can’t.  Did you ever see such plate? look at that centre-piece.”

“It is wonderful,” said George.  “I never saw it at all out before.  I wonder,” he added, with a sigh, “if I shall ever have the fingering of it.”

“Yes,” she said, with a strange look of her large eyes, “if you continue to be guided by me, you shall.  I tell you so, and I never make mistakes.  Hush, something is going to happen.  What is it?”