height of human bliss and ambition.  “We will invite some of our most distinguished neighbours to meet you,—­there are a few of the old stock left—­” this as if he were of the ‘old stock’ himself;—­“I knew your father—­poor fellow!—­and of course I remember seeing you as a child, though you don’t remember me—­ha-ha!—­but I shall be delighted to welcome you under my roof—­”

“Thanks so much!” said Maryllia, demurely—­“But please let it be for another time, will you?  I haven’t a single evening disengaged between this and the end of June!  So sorry!  I’ll come over to tea some day, with pleasure!  I know Badsworth.  Dear old place!—­quite famous too, once in the bygone days—­almost as famous as Abbot’s Manor itself.  Let me see!” and she looked up at the ceiling musingly—­“There was a Badsworth who fought against the Commonwealth,—­and there was another who was Prime Minister or something of that kind,—­then there was a Sir Thomas Badsworth who wrote books—­and another who did some wonderful service for King James the First—­yes, and there were some lovely women in the family, too—­I suppose their portraits are all there?  Yes—­I thought so!”—­this as Sir Morton nodded a blandly possessive affirmative—­ “How things change, don’t they?  Poor old Badsworth!  So funny to think you live there!  Oh, yes!  I’ll come over—­certainly I’ll come over,—­some day!”

Thus murmuring polite platitudes, Maryllia bade her visitors adieu.  Sir Morton conquered an inclination to gasp for breath and say ‘Damn!’ at the young lady’s careless refusal of his invitation to dinner,—­Miss Tabitha secretly rejoiced.

“I’m sure I don’t want her at Badsworth,” she said within herself, viciously—­“Nasty little insolent conceited thing!  I believe her hair is dyed, and her complexion put on!  A regular play-actress!”

Unconscious of the spinster’s amiable thoughts, Maryllia was holding out a hand to her.

“Good-bye!” she said—­“So kind of you to come and see me!  I’m sure you think I must be lonely here.  But I’m not, really!  I don’t think I ever shall be,—­because as soon as I have got the house quite in order, I am going to ask a great many friends to stay with me in turn.  They will enjoy seeing the old place, and country air is such a boon to London people!  Good-bye!”—­and here she turned to Marius Longford—­“I’m afraid I haven’t read any of your books!—­anyway I expect they would be too deep for me.  Wouldn’t they?”

“Lord Roxmouth has been good enough to express his liking for my poor efforts,” he replied, with a slight covert smile—­“I believe you know him?”

“Oh, quite well—­quite too well!” said Maryllia, without any discomposure—­“But what he likes, I always detest.  Unfortunate, isn’t it!  So I mustn’t even try to read your works!  You, Mr. Adderley”—­and she laughingly looked up at that gentleman, who, hat in hand, was pensively drooping in a farewell attitude before her,—­ “you are going to stop here all summer, aren’t you?  And in a cottage!  How delightful!  Anywhere near the Manor?”