“Ah, it’s there, I see,” remarked his mother that night as she passed through the hall on her way to dinner.

“What is?” inquired Robin who was just behind her.

“Your Uncle Cox’s umbrella.”

“Dear mater, why this extreme interest in my Uncle Cox’s umbrella?”

“I’m glad to see it back again, that’s all.  One gets so used to things.”

Lady Shuttleworth and his mother—­I shudder to think that it is possible Robin included his mother in the reflection about old women, but on the other hand one never can tell—­had stayed on at the farm for another twenty minutes after he left.  They would have stayed longer, for Lady Shuttleworth was more interested in Priscilla than she had ever been in any girl before, and Mrs. Morrison, who saw this interest and heard the kind speeches, had changed altogether from ice to amiability, crushing her leaflets in her hand and more than once expressing hopes that Miss Neumann-Schultz would soon come up to tea and learn to know and like Netta—­I repeat, they would have stayed much longer, but that an extremely odd thing happened.

Priscilla had been charming; chatting with what seemed absolute frankness about her future life in the cottages, answering little questionings of Lady Shuttleworth’s with a discretion and plausibility that would have warmed Fritzing’s anxious heart, dwelling most, for here the ground was safest, on her uncle, his work, his gifts and character, and Lady Shuttleworth, completely fascinated, had offered her help of every sort, help in the arranging of her little home, in the planting of its garden, even in the building of those bathrooms about which Tussie had been told by Mr. Dawson.  She thought the desire for many bathrooms entirely praiseworthy, and only a sign of lunacy in persons of small means.  Fritzing had assured Tussie that he had money enough for the bathrooms; and if his poetic niece liked everybody about her to be nicely washed was not that a taste to be applauded?  Perhaps Lady Shuttleworth expatiated on plans and probable building-costs longer than Priscilla was able to be interested; perhaps she was over-explanatory of practical details; anyhow Priscilla’s attention began to wander, and she gradually became very tired of her callers.  She answered in monosyllables, and her smile grew vague.  Then suddenly, at the first full stop Lady Shuttleworth reached in a sentence about sanitation—­the entire paragraph was never finished—­she got up with her usual deliberate grace, and held out her hand.

“It has been very kind of you to come and see me,” she said to the astounded lady, with a little gracious smile.  “I hope you will both come again another time.”

For an instant Lady Shuttleworth thought she was mad.  Then to her own amazement she found her body rising obediently and letting its hand be taken.

Mrs. Morrison did the same.  Both had their hands slightly pressed, both were smiled upon, and both went out at once and speechless.  Priscilla stood calmly while they walked to the door, with the little smile fixed on her face.