poor grounds.  “Thoroughly satisfied,” said Mrs. Clavering, drawing herself up and looking very unlike the usual Mrs. Clavering of the rectory.  After that there was no further conversation between her and Sir Hugh.  “The worst of him to me is always this,” she said that evening to her husband, “that he puts me so much out of conceit with myself.  If I were with him long I should begin to find myself the most disagreeable woman in England!” “Then pray don’t be with him long,” said the rector.

But Archie made conversation throughout dinner, and added greatly to Mrs. Clavering’s troubles by doing so.  There was nothing in common between them, but still Archie went on laboriously with his work.  It was a duty which he recognized, and at which he would work hard.  When he had used up Mary’s marriage, a subject which he economized carefully, so that he brought it down to the roast saddle of mutton, he began upon Harry’s match.  When was it to be?  Where were they to live?  Was there any money?  What manner of people were the Burtons?  Perhaps he might get over it?  This he whispered very lowly, and it was the question next in sequence to that about the money.  When, in answer to this, Mrs. Clavering with considerable energy declared that anything of that kind would be a misfortune of which there seemed to be no chance whatever, he recovered himself as he thought very skilfully.  “Oh, yes; of course; that’s just what I meant; a doosed nice girl I think her; a doosed nice girl, all round.”  Archie’s questions were very laborious to his fellow-laborer in the conversation, because he never allowed one of them to pass without an answer.  He always recognized the fact that he was working hard on behalf of society, and, as he used to say himself that he had no idea of pulling all the coach up the hill by his own shoulders.  Whenever, therefore, he had made his effort he waited for his companion’s, looking closely into her face, cunningly driving her on, so that she also should pull her share of the coach.  Before dinner was over Mrs. Clavering found the hill to be very steep, and the coach to be very heavy.  “I’ll bet you seven to one,” said he—­and this was his parting speech as Mrs. Clavering rose up at Lady Clavering’s nod—­“I’ll bet you seven to one, that the whole box and dice of them are married before me—­or at any rate as soon; and I don’t mean to remain single much longer, I can tell you.”  The “box and dice of them” was supposed to comprise Harry, Florence, Fanny and Lady Ongar, of all of whom mention had been made, and that saving clause—­“at any rate as soon”—­was cunningly put in, as it had occurred to Archie that he perhaps might be married on the same day as one of those other persons.  But Mrs. Clavering was not compelled either to accept or reject the bet, as she was already moving before the terms had been fully explained to her.

Lady Clavering as she went out of the room stopped a moment behind Harry’s chair and whispered a word to him.  “I want to speak to you before you go to-night.”  Then she passed on.