He took the trouble to lift himself up and make a little bow of acknowledgment.  Certainly he was worse than the Colonel; but Rachel, while mustering her powers for annihilating him, was annoyed by all the party in the drawing-room coming forth to join them, the other officers rallying young Keith upon his luxurious station, and making it evident that he was a proverb in the regiment for taking his ease.  Chairs were brought out, and afternoon tea, and the callers sat down to wait for Colonel Keith to come in; Grace feeling obliged to stay to help Fanny entertain her visitors, and Rachel to protect her from their follies.  One thing Grace began to perceive, that Lady Temple had in her former world been a person of much more consideration than she was made here, and seeing the polite and deferential manner of these officers to her, could only wonder at her gentle content and submission in meeting with no particular attention from anybody, and meekly allowing herself to be browbeaten by Rachel and lectured by her aunt.

A lecture was brewing up for her indeed.  Poor Mrs. Curtis was very much concerned at the necessity, and only spurred up by a strong sense of duty to give a hint—­the study of which hint cost her a whole sleepless night and a very weary Sunday morning.  She decided that her best course would be to drive to Myrtlewood rather early on her way to church, and take up Fanny, gaining a previous conference with her alone, if possible.  “Yes, my dear,” she said to Grace, “I must get it over before church, or it will make me so nervous all through the service.”  And Grace, loving her mother best, durst not suggest what it might do to Fanny, hoping that the service might help her to digest the hint.

Mrs. Curtis’s regular habits were a good deal shocked to find Fanny still at the breakfast table.  The children had indeed long finished, and were scattered about the room, one of them standing between Colonel Keith’s knees, repeating a hymn; but the younger guest was still in the midst of his meal, and owned in his usual cool manner that he was to blame for the lateness, there was no resisting the charms of no morning parade.

Her aunt’s appearance made Fanny imagine it much later than it really was, and she hurried off the children to be dressed, and proceeded herself to her room, Mrs. Curtis following, and by way of preliminary, asking when Colonel Keith was going to Ireland.

“Oh!” said Fanny, blushing most suspiciously under her secret, “he is not going to Ireland now.”

“Indeed!  I quite understood he intended it.”

“Yes,” faltered Fanny, “but he found that he need not.”

“Indeed!” again ejaculated poor perplexed Mrs. Curtis; “but then, at least, he is going away soon.”

“He must go to Scotland by-and-by, but for the present he is going into lodgings.  Do you know of any nice ones, dear aunt?”

“Well, I suppose you can’t help that; you know, my dear, it would never do for him to stay in this house.”