Mr. Hammond’s letter was delivered to Lord Maulevrier five minutes before dinner, as he sat in the drawing-room with her ladyship and Mary.  Poor Mary had put on another pretty gown for dinner, still bent upon effacing Mr. Hammond’s image of her as a tousled, frantic creature in torn and muddy raiment.  She sat watching the door, just as Hammond had watched it three hours ago.

‘So,’ said Maulevrier, ’your ladyship has succeeded in driving my friend away.  Hammond has left Fellside, and begs me to convey to you his compliments and his grateful acknowledgment of all your kindness.’

‘I hope I have not been uncivil to him,’ answered Lady Maulevrier coldly.  ’As you had both made up your minds to go to-morrow, it can matter very little that he should go to-day.’

Mary looked down at the ribbon and lace on her prettiest frock, and thought that it mattered a great deal to her.  Yet, if he had stayed, would he have seen her frock or her?  With his bodily eyes, perhaps, but not with the eyes of his mind.  Those eyes saw only Lesbia.

‘No, perhaps it hardly matters,’ answered Maulevrier, with suppressed anger.  ’The man is not worth talking about or thinking about.  What is he?  Only the best, truest, bravest fellow I ever knew.’

’There are shepherds and guides in Grasmere of whom we could say almost as much,’ said Lady Maulevrier, ’yet you would scarcely expect me to encourage one of them to pay his addresses to your sister?  Pray spare us all nonsense-talk, Maulevrier.  This business is very well ended.  You ought never to have brought Mr. Hammond here.’

‘I am sure of that now.  I am very sorry I did bring him.’

’Oh, the man will not die for love.  A disappointment of that kind is good for a young man in his position.  It will preserve him from more vulgar entanglements, and perhaps from the folly of a too early marriage.’

‘That is a mighty philosophical way of looking at the matter.’

’It is the only true way.  I hope when you are my age you will have learnt to look at everything in a philosophical spirit.’

‘Well, Lady Maulevrier, you have had it all your own way,’ said the young man, walking up and down the room in an angry mood.  ’I hope you will never be sorry for having come between two people who loved each other, and might have made each other happy.’

’I shall never he sorry for having saved my granddaughter from an imprudent marriage.  Give me your arm, Maulevrier, and let me hear no more about Mr. Hammond.  We have all had quite enough of him,’ said her ladyship, as the butler announced dinner.

CHAPTER XIII.

‘SINCE PAINTED OR NOT PAINTED ALL SHALL FADE.’

Fraeulein Mueller and her charge returned from St. Bees after a sojourn of about three weeks upon that quiet shore:  but Lady Lesbia did not appear to be improved in health or spirits by the revivifying breezes of the ocean.