With which philosophical reflection Lubin slipped on his green corduroy jacket, shouldered his broom, and trudged cheerfully home to tea.

Chapter the Fourth

The next day the great heat had moderated, and the sky was covered with a thin pearly veil of gossamer greyness which afforded a delightful relief after the glare of the past week.  A smart shower had fallen during the night, and the parched earth, refreshed after its bath, appeared more fragrant and more beautiful than ever.  Aunt Charlotte busied herself all the morning with various household diversions, while Austin, swaying lazily to and fro in a hammock under an old apple tree, read ‘Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight.’  At last he looked at his watch, and found that it was about time to go and dress.

“Well, you have made yourself smart,” commented Aunt Charlotte complacently, as Austin, sprucely attired in a pale flannel suit, with a lilac tie and a dark-red rose in his button-hole, came into the morning-room to say good-bye.  “But why need you have dressed so early?  Our friends aren’t coming till three o’clock at the very earliest, and it’s not much more than twelve—­at least, so says my watch.  You needn’t have changed till after lunch, at any rate.”

“My dear auntie, have you forgotten?” asked Austin, in innocent surprise.  “To-day’s Thursday, and I’m engaged to lunch and spend the afternoon with Mr St Aubyn.  You know I told you all about it the very day he asked me.”

“Mr St Aubyn?—­I don’t understand,” said Aunt Charlotte, with a bewildered air.  “I have a recollection of your telling me a few days ago that you were lunching out some day or other, but——­”

“On Thursday, you know, I said.”

“Did you?  Well, but—­but our friends are coming here to-day!  You must have been dreaming, Austin,” cried Aunt Charlotte, sitting bolt upright.  “How can you have made such a blunder?  Of course you can’t possibly go!”

“Do you really propose, auntie, that I should break my engagement with Mr St Aubyn for the sake of entertaining people like the MacTavishes and the Cobbledicks?” replied Austin, quite unmoved.

“But why did you fix on the same day?” exclaimed Aunt Charlotte desperately.  “I cannot understand it.  I left the date to you, you know I did—­I told you I didn’t care what day it was, and said you might choose whichever suited yourself best.  What on earth induced you to pitch on the very day when you were invited out?”

“For the very reason you yourself assign—­that you let me choose any day that suited me best.  For the very reason that I was invited out.  You see, my dear auntie——­”

“Oh, you false, cunning boy!” cried Aunt Charlotte, who now saw how she had been trapped.  “So you let me agree to the 24th, and took care not to tell me that the 24th was Thursday because you knew quite well I should never have consented if you had.  What abominable deception!  But you shall suffer for it, Austin.  Of course you’ll remain at home now, if only as a punishment for your deceit.  I shouldn’t dream of letting you go, after such disgraceful conduct.  To think you could have tricked me so!”