There was over a week of the beautiful weather that midsummer brings, and the days passed full of gayety.  Both Archdale and his mother did everything for the enjoyment of their guests.  They showed them the most beautiful views on shore, and by sailing took them to places of interest not to be reached by land, while dinner-parties and garden-parties made them acquainted with the best society of the city.  From morning until night the house was full of talk, and jest, and laughter.  Among the guests one day had been Mr. Royal and Mrs. Eveleigh.  They had come with Colonel and Madam Pepperell, at whose house they were then visiting, in accordance with a promise made the autumn before when the Colonel and his wife had been guests of Mr. Royal.  More than once, Elizabeth had met the party from Seascape, but she could not come here, she was not sure enough in her heart of not being Stephen Archdale’s wife.  She compromised with her father by promising to go to Colonel Archdale’s, for that gentleman had told them that they were to be asked there.

“Elizabeth was right not to come,” Madam Pepperell had said to her guest on the way to Seascape.  “There are people small enough to have said that she was making an inventory.”

“Not any of the Archdale family?” inquired Mr. Royal.

“Not mother or son, certainly.  As to the Colonel, it is easy to see that he admires Elizabeth.”

“Um!” commented Elizabeth’s father.

Colonel Archdale at this time was away a good deal upon business.  When he was at home he usually rode over to his son’s house to dine.  But he resolved to give a dinner party himself, and it was to this that Elizabeth Royal had promised to come.  Madam Archdale being thus obliged to preside over two houses at once was full of secret uneasiness as to how matters would turn out, and for three mornings before the event excused herself to her guests from breakfast until dinner, and drove home to superintend arrangements.  Dinner parties were frequent at that house, and there was not much danger that anything would go wrong.  Still, the Colonel was unusually critical, and his wife had her anxieties.  On the whole, Sir Temple Dacre enjoyed himself most of anyone at that time, he gave himself up to observation and a proper amount of attention to his dinners, which he remarked to his wife were for provincial affairs uncommonly good.  Lord Bulchester, trying to follow Edmonson’s meanings, had a feeling of uncertainty which, as it did not rest upon a foundation of faith, such as used to underlie all his considerations of his friend’s actions, ended by making him somewhat uncomfortable.  Edmonson kept to himself whatever clue he had gained, or whatever ground for suspicion he had that one object of his visit to the Colonies was nearing its accomplishment.  He kept to himself also as much as possible the fact that his eyes were constantly following Elizabeth whenever they had opportunity, for the new position in which she was placed had called