Colonel Vaughan replies, yawning,—­

’I don’t know what on earth we shall do without Freda!  And she to throw herself away upon that stupid London parish, where all her charming manner and talent will be lavished upon ragged schools and missionary meetings.  I wish she had never come back.’

’Oh, Gwynne, I’m thure Mr Prothero ith very nithe, and tho gentlemanlike and good and handthome.  And, you know, clergymen are ath good ath any one in London.’

‘Prothero is better than most, I think,’ says Sir Hugh, ’because there is no humbug about him.  And I’m sure, since Freda wouldn’t have me, I’m glad she had him, though I never guessed she liked him; I used to think she liked you best, Vaughan.’

The colonel sighs.

‘Oh!  I never flattered myself so far, I wish—­’

’Certainly, I could not have believed the Protheros were such superior people,’ says Lady Mary.  ’As to Mr Owen and his wife, they might be introduced into any society.’

‘Thweetly pretty, Gladyth ith, I never thought tho much of her before,’ lisps Mrs Vaughan.  ’Tho interethting the looked in that dreth, the one the wath married in, my maid thaith.’

’I was obliged to call at the farm myself, to induce old Prothero and his wife to come,’ says Mr Gwynne, ’Freda wished it so much; I cannot say I did:  you see it was rather awkward.  But he did not change his old manner towards me—­or—­in fact—­you know, Sir Hugh he might have been—­’

‘Bumptious,’ breaks in Sir Hugh; ’exactly, not a bit of it.  They’re better behaved.  Besides, there was Mrs Jonathan to support the honour of the family, and her husband the learning.’

‘Yes,’ says Lady Mary; ‘’ it is a comfort that they are really gentlefolks.  And Mr and Mrs Jones too—­in short, with the exception of the parents, after all, there is no great objection.  Many girls make worse matches.  Only they live so near.’

Here little Harold comes bouncing into the room, followed by the other children.

’Mamma! papa! do you know I am going to marry Minette, I told her so; her name is Victoria, after the Queen, she said.  I shall go to see her to-morrow; she is bigger than Minnie, and looked prettier in her veil.  Didn’t Dot look funny in a veil?  Dot nearly cried, but Aunt Freda gave her some cake.  Why did Mr Prothero come, papa? isn’t he a farmer?’

‘And isn’t your papa a farmer? and am not I a farmer, Master Harold?’ exclaims Sir Hugh, catching the boy up in his arms.

‘I am so sorry Aunt Freda is going away,’ says quiet little Minnie to her mother.

‘And tho am I, my dear.’

‘And tho am I, mamma,’ lisps Dot, exactly as lisps her mamma.

‘I hope she will be happy,’ says Mr Gwynne, aside to the colonel; ’do you think she will?’

’Yes, I am sure she will; she is evidently sincerely attached to Rowland Prothero, and he to her.  He is a good man and a gentleman, one cannot deny that.  Pshaw! why am I so sorry she is gone? we shall miss her dreadfully after this twelvemonth.’