’Now, Charles, the girl wants to be interested and amused without having to take any trouble for herself; she is too delicate to be very active either in mind or body.  Just look after her when the house gets full, and place her where she can hear and see everything and everybody, without any fuss and responsibility.’

So Sir Charles began this day at luncheon by taking Molly under his quiet protection.  He did not say much to her; but what he did say was thoroughly friendly and sympathetic; and Molly began, as he and Lady Harriet intended that she should, to have a kind of pleasant reliance upon him.  Then in the evening while the rest of the family were at dinner—­after Molly’s tea and hour of quiet repose, Parkes came and dressed her in some of the new clothes prepared for the Kirkpatrick visit, and did her hair in some new and pretty way, so that when Molly looked at herself in the cheval-glass, she scarcely knew the elegant reflection to be that of herself.  She was fetched down by Lady Harriet into the great long formidable drawing-room, which, as an interminable place of pacing, had haunted her dreams ever since her childhood.  At the further end sate Lady Cumnor at her tapestry work; the light of fire and candle seemed all concentrated on that one bright part where presently Lady Harriet made tea, and Lord Cumnor went to sleep, and Sir Charles read passages aloud from the Edinburgh Review to the three ladies at their work.

When Molly went to bed she was constrained to admit that staying at the Towers as a visitor was rather pleasant than otherwise; and she tried to reconcile old impressions with new ones, until she fell asleep.  There was another comparatively quiet day before the expected guests began to arrive in the evening.  Lady Harriet took Molly a drive in her little pony-carriage; and for the first time for many weeks Molly began to feel the delightful spring of returning health; the dance of youthful spirits in the fresh air cleared by the previous day’s rain.

CHAPTER LVIII

REVIVING HOPES AND BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS

’If you can without fatigue, dear, do come down to dinner to-day; you’ll then see the people one by one as they appear, instead of having to encounter a crowd of strangers.  Hollingford will be here too.  I hope you’ll find it pleasant.’

So Molly made her appearance at dinner that day; and got to know, by sight at least, some of the most distinguished of the visitors at the Towers.  The next day was Thursday, Cynthia’s wedding-day; bright and fine in the country, whatever it might be in London.  And there were several letters from the home-people awaiting Molly when she came downstairs to the late breakfast.  For every day, every hour, she was gaining strength and health, and she was unwilling to continue her invalid habits any longer than was necessary.  She looked so much better that Sir