She found the little cripple leaning over the banisters listening to the sound of voices.

’Oh, my dear!  Is it you?  I expected you to come to see me when you left the gentlemen in the dining-room.’

‘I couldn’t come before, dear,’ said Alice, kissing her friend.  ’Just as I was asking Lady Sarah the way to your room, we heard them coming.’

’And how did you like the party?  Which of the men did you think the nicest?’

‘I did not care for any of them; and oh, that odious Mr. Lynch!’

Cecilia’s eyes flashed with a momentary gleam of satisfaction, and spoke of a little excursion—­a walk to the Brennans, who lived two miles distant—­that she had been planning for the last few days.

VII

The girls had given each other rendezvous at the gate of Dungory Castle.  Lover was never more anxious to meet mistress than this little deformed girl to see her friend; and Alice could see her walking hurriedly up and down the gravel-sweep in front of the massive grey-stone lodge.

‘She will see me next time she turns,’ thought Alice; and immediately after Cecilia uttered a joyful cry and ran forward.

’Oh, so it is you, Alice!  I am so glad!  I thought you were going to disappoint me.’

‘And why, dear, did you think I was going to disappoint you?’ said Alice, stooping to kiss the wan, wistful face.

‘I don’t know—­I can’t say—­but I fancied something would happen;’ and the great brown eyes began to melt with tears of delight.  ’I had, you know, set my heart on this walk with you.’

’I am sure the pleasure is as much mine as yours; and now, whither lies our way?’

’Through the deer-park, through the oakwood, across the fields into the highroad, and then you are at the gate,’

‘Won’t that be too far for you?’

’Oh, not at all!  It is not more than a mile and a half; but for you, you had to come another mile and a half.  It is fully that from here to Brookfield.  But tell me, dear,’ said Cecilia, clinging to her friend’s arm, ’why have you not been over to see me before?  It is not kind of you; we have been home from school now over a fortnight, and, except on the night of the dinner-party, I haven’t seen you once.’

’I was coming over to see you last week, dear; but, to tell you the truth, mamma prevented me.  I cannot think why, but somehow she does not seem to care that I should go to Dungory Castle.  But for the matter of that, why did you not come to see me?  I’ve been expecting you every day.’

’I couldn’t come either.  My sisters advised me—­I mean, insisted on my stopping at home.’

‘And why?’

‘I really can’t say,’ replied Cecilia.

And now Alice knew that the Ladies Cullen hated Mrs. Barton for her intimacy with Lord Dungory.  She longed to talk the matter out, but dared not; while Cecilia regretted she had spoken; for, with the quickness of the deformed, she knew that Alice had divined the truth of the family feud.