“Well, Mrs. Rosewarne,” said he, rather shamefacedly, “I suppose you mean to scold me?”

Her answer surprised him.  She took no heed of his remark, but in a vehement, excited way began to ask him questions about a woman whom she described.

He stared at her.  “I hope you don’t know anything about that elegant creature?” he said.

She did not wholly tell him the story, but left him to guess at some portions of it; and then she demanded to know all about the woman and her companion, and how long they had been in Penzance, and where they were going.  Master Harry was by chance able to reply to certain of her questions.  The answers comforted her greatly.  Was he quite sure that she was married?  What was her husband’s name?  She was no longer Mrs. Shirley?  Would he find out all he could?  Would he forgive her asking him to take all this trouble? and would he promise to say no word about it to Wenna?  When all this had been said and done the young man felt himself considerably embarrassed.  Was there to be no mention of his own affairs?  So far from remonstrating with him and forbidding him the house, Mrs. Rosewarne was almost effusively grateful to him, and could only beg him a thousand times not to mention the subject to her daughter.

“Oh, of course not,” said he, rather bewildered.  “But—­but I thought from the way in which she left the room that—­that perhaps I had offended her.”

“Oh no, I am sure that is not the case,” said Mrs. Rosewarne; and she immediately went and called Wenna, who came into the room with rather an anxious look on her face.  She immediately perceived the change in her mother’s mood.  The demon of suspicion and jealousy had been as suddenly exorcised as it had been summoned.  Mrs. Rosewarne’s fine eyes were lit by quite a new brightness and gayety of spirits.  She bade Wenna declare what fearful cause of offence Mr. Trelyon had given, and laughed when the young man, blushing somewhat, hastily assured both of them that it was all a stupid mistake of his own.

“Oh yes,” Wenna said rather nervously, “it is a mistake.  I am sure you have given me no offence at all, Mr. Trelyon.”

It was an embarrassing moment for two, at least, out of these three persons; and Mrs. Rosewarne, in her abundant good-nature, could not understand their awkward silence.  Wenna was apparently looking out of the window at the bright blue bay and the boats, and yet the girl was not ordinarily so occupied when Mr. Trelyon was present.  As for him, he had got his hat in his hands; he seemed to be much concerned about it or about his boots; one did not often find Master Harry actually showing shyness.

At last he said, desperately, “Mrs. Rosewarne, perhaps you would go out for a sail in the afternoon?  I could get you a nice little yacht and some rods and lines.  Won’t you?”

Mrs. Rosewarne was in a kindly humor.  She said she would be very glad to go, for Wenna was growing tired of always sitting by the window.  This would be some little variety for her.