‘I beg your pardon—­I thought you never heard nor heeded me.’

’I don’t in general, but this requires attention; and it is past all bearing to hear how you go on to that Jelly!’

’Read aloud, then:  it will answer two purposes.

‘This is Divinity—­Hooker,’ said James, sighing wearily.

’So much the better.  I read some once; I wish I had been obliged to go on.’

’You are the oddest fellow!—­After all, I believe you have a craving after my profession.’

‘Is that a discovery?’ said Louis, washing the colour out of his brush.  ’The only person I envy is a country curate—­except a town one.’

‘Don’t talk like affectation!’ growled James.

‘Do you know, Jem,’ said Louis, leaning back, and drawing the brush between his lips, ’I am persuaded that something will turn up to prevent it from being your profession.’

‘Your persuasions are wrong, then!’

‘That fabulous uncle in the Indies—­’

’You know I am determined to accept nothing from my uncle, were he to lay it at my feet—­which he never will.’

‘Literally or metaphorically?’ asked Louis, softly.

‘Pshaw!’

’You Dynevors don’t resemble my sea-pink.  See how she stretches her elegant fringes for this very unpleasant bit of meat!  There!  I won’t torment you any more; read, and stop my mouth!’

‘You are in earnest?’

’You seem to think that if a man cannot be a clergyman, he is not to be a Christian.’

‘Then don’t break in with your actinias and stuff!’

‘Certainly not,’ said Louis, gravely.

The first interruption came from James himself.  Leaping to his feet with a sudden bound, he exclaimed, ‘There they are!’ and stood transfixed in a gaze of ecstasy.

‘You have made me smudge my lake,’ said Louis, in the mild tone of ‘Diamond, Diamond!’

‘I tell you, there they are!’ cried James, rushing into wild activity.

‘One would think it the Fair Unknown,’ said Louis, not troubling himself to look round, nor desisting from washing out his smudge.

’It is! it is!—­it is all of them!  Here they come, I tell you, and the place is a very merman’s cave!’

‘Take care—­the serpula—­don’t!’ as James hurriedly opened the door leading to the stairs—­disposed of the raw meat on one step and the serpulas on another, and hurled after them the heap of seaweed, all but one trailing festoon of ‘Luckie Minnie’s lines,’ which, while his back was turned, Louis by one dexterous motion wreathed round the crown of his straw hat; otherwise never stirring, but washing quietly on, until he rose as little Priscilla opened the door, and stood aside, mutely overawed at the stream of flounced ladies that flowed past, and seemed to fill up the entire room.  It was almost a surprise to find that, after all, there were only three of them!

‘I knew I was not mistaken,’ said a very engaging, affectionate voice.  ’It is quite shocking to have to introduce myself to you—­ Lady Conway—­’