“Yes, yes, yes,” said Miss Panney, “that is all true enough, but I told him to send for you.  In fact, I insisted upon it.  I did it, of course, for his sake; for I knew that the arrangement would be of advantage to him in various ways, but I was also glad to be of service to your daughter, of whom I had heard a good report.  Furthermore, I interested myself very much in getting you lodgings, and found you a home at Mrs. Brinkly’s that I hoped you would like.  If I had not done so, I think you would have been obliged to go to the hotel, which is not pleasant and much more expensive than a private house.  I do not mention these things, madam, because I wish to be thanked, or anything of that sort; far from it.  I did what I did because I thought it was right; but I must admit, if you will excuse my mentioning it, that I was surprised, to say the least, that I was not consulted, in the slightest degree, on the occasion of your leaving the home I had secured for you.”

“I am very sorry,” said Mrs. Drane, “that I should appear to have been discourteous to one who had done us a service, for which, I assure you, we are both very much obliged, but Dr. and Mrs. Tolbridge managed the whole affair of our removal from Mrs. Brinkly’s house, and I did not suppose there was any one, besides them and ourselves, who would take the slightest interest in the matter.”

“Oh, I find no fault,” said Miss Panney.  “It is not an affair of importance, but I think you will agree, madam, that after the interest I had shown in procuring you suitable accommodation, I might have been spared what some people might consider the mortification of being told, when I stated to Mrs. Tolbridge that I intended to call upon you, that you were not then living with the lady whose consent to receive you into her family I had obtained, after a great deal of personal solicitation and several visits.”

Upon this presentation of the matter, Mrs. Drane could not help thinking that the old lady had been treated somewhat uncivilly, and expressed her regret in the most suitable terms she could think of, adding that she was sure that Miss Panney would agree that the change had been an excellent one.

“Of course, of course,” said Miss Panney.  “For a temporary country residence, I suppose you could not have found a better spot, though it must be a long walk for your daughter when she goes to submit her work to Dr. Tolbridge.”

“That has not yet been necessary,” said Mrs. Drane; “Mr. Haverley is very kind—­”

At this point Miss Panney rose.  She had said all she wanted to say, and to decline to hear anything about Ralph Haverley’s having been seen driving about with a young woman who had been engaged as Dr. Tolbridge’s secretary, was much better than speaking of it, and she took her leave with a prim politeness.

Mrs. Drane was left in an uncomfortable state of mind.  It was not pleasant to be reminded that this delightful country house was only a temporary home, for that implied a return to Thorbury, a town she disliked; and although she had, of course, expected to go back there, she had not allowed the matter to dwell in her mind at all, putting it into the future, without consideration, as she liked to do with things that were unpleasant.