As they approached the house, the library window was thrown up, and Mrs. Frost came hurrying down with outstretched arms.  She was met by her young nephew with an overflow of fond affection, before he looked up and beheld his father standing upright and motionless on the highest step.  His excuses were made more lightly and easily than seemed to suit such rigid looks; but Lord Ormersfield bent his head as if resigning himself perforce to the explanation, and, with the softened voice in which he always spoke to Mrs. Ponsonby, said, ’Here he is—­Louis, you remember your cousin.’

She was positively startled; for it was as if his mother’s deep blue eyes were raised to hers, and there were the same regular delicate features, fair, transparent complexion, and glossy light-brown hair tinted with gold—­the same careless yet deprecating glance, the same engaging smile that warmed her heart to him at once, in spite of an air which was not that of wisdom.

‘How little altered you are!’ she exclaimed.  ’If you were not taller than your father, I should say you were the same Louis that I left fourteen years ago.’

‘I fear that is the chief change,’ said Lord Ormersfield.

‘A boy that would be a boy all his life, like Sir Thomas More’s son!’ said Louis, coolly and simply, but with a twinkle in the corner of his eye, as if he said it on purpose to be provoking; and Mrs. Frost interposed by asking where the cousins had met, and whether they had known each other.

‘I knew him by what you said yesterday,’ said Mary.

’Louis le Debonnaire? asked Mrs. Frost, smiling.

‘No, Mary; not that name!’ he exclaimed.  ’It is what Jem calls me, when he has nothing more cutting to say—­’

’Aye, because it is exactly what you look when you know you deserve a scolding—­with your shoulders pulled down, and your face made up!’ said his aunt, patting him.

When Mrs. Ponsonby and Mary had left the room to dress, Louis exclaimed, ’And that is Mrs. Ponsonby!  How ill she does look!  Her very voice has broken down, though it still has the sweet sound that I could never forget!  Has she had advice?’

‘Dr. Hastings saw her in London,’ said his father.  ’He sent her into the country at once, and thinks that there is fair hope that complete rest of spirits may check the disease.’

‘Will she stay here?’ said Louis, eagerly.  ’That would be like old times, and we could make her very comfortable.  I would train those two ponies for her drives—­’

‘I wish she would remain here,’ said his father; ’but she is bent on becoming my aunt’s tenant.’

’Ha!  That is next best!  They could do nothing more commendable.  Will they be a windfall for the House Beautiful?’

‘No,’ said Mrs. Frost.  ’They wish to have a house of their own, in case Mr. Ponsonby should come home, or Miss Ponsonby to stay with them.’

’The respected aunt who brought Mary up!  How long has she been at Lima?’