’Oh, yes! we are intending to have the house full of Lord Hollingford’s friends next month, and Lord Cumnor is particularly anxious to secure Mr. Hamley.’

‘The squire?’ asked Mrs. Gibson in some surprise.  Lady Cumnor bowed slightly, as much as to say, ’If you did not interrupt me I should explain.’

’The famous traveller—­the scientific Mr. Hamley, I mean.  I imagine he is son to the squire.  Lord Hollingford knows him well; but when we asked him before, he declined coming, and assigned no reason.’

Had Roger indeed been asked to the Towers and declined?  Mrs. Gibson could not understand it.  Lady Cumnor went on,—­

’Now this time we are particularly anxious to secure him, and my son Lord Hollingford will not return to England until the very week before the Duke of Atherstone is coming to us.  I believe Mr. Gibson is very intimate with Mr. Hamley; do you think he could induce him to favour us with his company?’

And this from the proud Lady Cumnor; and the object of it Roger Hamley, whom she had all but turned out of her drawing-room two years ago for calling at an untimely hour; and whom Cynthia had turned out of her heart.  Mrs. Gibson was surprised, and could only murmur out that she was sure Mr. Gibson would do all that her ladyship wished.

’Thank you.  You know me well enough to be aware that I am not the person, nor is the Towers the house, to go about soliciting guests.  But in this instance I bend my head; high rank should always be the first to honour those who have distinguished themselves by art or science.’

‘Besides, mamma,’ said Lady Harriet, ’papa was saying that the Hamleys have been on their land since before the Conquest; while we only came into the county a century ago; and there is a tale that the first Cumnor began his fortune through selling tobacco in King James’s reign.’

If Lady Cumnor did not exactly shift her trumpet and take snuff there on the spot, she behaved in an equivalent manner.  She began a low-toned but nevertheless authoritative conversation with Clare about the details of the wedding, which lasted until she thought it fit to go, when she abruptly plucked Lady Harriet up, and carried her off in the very midst of a description she was giving to Cynthia about the delights of Spa, which was to be one of the resting-places of the newly-married couple on their wedding-tour.

Nevertheless she prepared a handsome present for the bride:  a Bible and a Prayer-book bound in velvet with silver-clasps; and also a collection of household account-books, at the beginning of which Lady Cumnor wrote down with her own hand the proper weekly allowance of bread, butter, eggs, meat, and groceries per head, with the London prices of the articles, so that the most inexperienced housekeeper might ascertain if her expenditure exceeded her means, as she expressed herself in the note which she sent with the handsome, dull present.