‘We are all industrious to-day,’ said Mrs Blackmore, ’on account of our country cousin—­a dear odd creature.  She has sent us hampers and baskets full of everything nice, for I don’t know how long.  The girls can scarcely remember when she was here last, and it would be such a comfort to her to have some of their work.  Do, Maria, try and finish that purse.’

Charles and Harry had heard of that ‘dear odd country cousin’ ever since they first entered the house.  The turkeys and chickens she sent had been described in their hearing till they thought they had eaten them.  From the conversation of her relatives Harry concluded her to be a spinster or widow of an uninteresting age.  However, the threatened arrival created a new employment for him in the shape of holding purse-silk for Miss Maria to wind; and owing perhaps to the quietness of this employment—­perhaps to its occupying so long a time—­the awkwardness of his position began to stare him in the face.  He began to think he was a bad fellow—­although it was all Charles’s fault.  He did not know that Miss Maria thought him a goosey-goosey-gander, but he began at last to hate her all the same—­we are so liable to hate those we are conscious of injuring!  He became in truth afraid of her—­she haunted him.  He knew he ought to do something, but he did not know what to do.  He had all his life acted under advice, and he now felt as if he had broken from his moorings, and was on the wide, wide sea, drifting at the mercy of this calamity.

At the moment we have arrived at, things had come to an alarming climax.  In reply to his bewildered look Charles had turned away with severity—­washing his hands of it—­to join Miss Clementina in the corner; and the rest of the family, who seemed suddenly to find themselves de trop, scattered away to other parts of the room.  Now Miss Maria was a fast girl, and Harry knew it.  She looked wicked, as if determined upon a coup d’etat; and he began to perspire all over.  The skein fared badly.  At this moment some slight diversion was made in his favour by a servant appearing with a message regarding somebody in the back-parlour; whereupon Mrs Blackmore went hastily down stairs; and Harry’s eyes followed her wistfully:  he thought he should like to get out.

‘Oh, girls,’ said Caroline, returning in a few minutes, ’it is poor cozy, and mamma is bringing her up for us all to comfort her.  She has lost I don’t know how much money by the failure of that horrid Skinner’s bank; and what’s worse, she can’t find her husband.’

‘He ought to be sent home wherever he is,’ replied Maria; ’I’m sure she was just too good to him.  Oh, Mr Harry Phipps, what a sad set you men are!  I declare you are ravelling again.’

Harry, colouring to the roots of the hair, bent forward to plead some unintelligible excuse; the fast Maria took hold of his finger as if she was cross; and at that instant another finger was pressed upon his shoulder, and looking up, he gazed into the eyes of his wife!