Clara, who had just promised to do her best to gain Lady Aylmer’s opinion, and who desired to be in some way true to her promise, though she thoroughly believed that her labour would be in vain, put on her pleasantest smile as she entered the room.  Belinda, under the pressure of the circumstances, forgetting somewhat of her mother’s injunctions, hurried to the door to welcome the stranger.  Lady Aylmer kept her chair, and even maintained her stitch, till Clara was half across the room.  Then she got up, and with great mastery over her voice, made her little speech.

‘We are delighted to see you, Miss Amedroz,’ she said, putting out her hand of which Clara, however, felt no more than the finger.

‘Quite delighted,’ said Belinda, yielding a fuller grasp.  Then there were affectionate greetings between Frederic and his mother and Frederic and his sister, during which Clara stood by, ill at ease.  Captain Aylmer said not a word as to the footing on which his future wife had come to his father’s house.  He did not ask his mother to receive her as another daughter, or his sister to take his Clara to her heart as a sister.  There had been no word spoken of recognized intimacy.  Clara knew that the Aylmers were cold people.  She had learned as much as that from Captain Aylmer’s words to herself, and from his own manner.  But she had not expected to be so frozen by them as was the case with her now.  In ten minutes she was sitting down with her bonnet still on, and Lady Aylmer was again at her stitches.

‘Shall I show you your room?’ said Belinda.

‘Wait a moment, my dear,’ said Lady Aylmer.  ’Frederic has gone to see if Sir Anthony is in his study.’

Sir Anthony was found in his study, and now made his appearance.

‘So this is Clara Amedroz,’ he said.  ’My dear, you are welcome to Aylmer Park.’  This was so much better, that the kindness expressed though there was nothing special in it brought a tear into Clara’s eye, and almost made her love Sir Anthony.

’By the by, Sir Anthony, have you seen Darvel?  Darvel was wanting to see you especially about Nuggins.  Nuggins says that he’ll take the bullocks now.’  This was said by Lady Aylmer, and was skilfully arranged by her to put a stop to anything like enthusiasm on the part of Sir Anthony.  Clara Amedroz had been invited to Aylmer Park, and was to be entertained there, but it would not be expedient that she should be made to think that anybody was particularly glad to see her, or that the family was at all proud of the proposed connexion.  Within five minutes after this she was up in her room, and had received from Belinda tenders of assistance as to her lady’s maid.  Both the mother and daughter had been anxious to learn whether Clara would bring her own maid.  Lady Aylmer, thinking that she would do so, had already blamed her for extravagance.  ’Of course Fred will have to pay for the journey and all the rest of it,’ she had said.  But as soon as