His next confidence was—-

“I say, Cecil, can you get me some writing things?  We-—at least I—- ought to write and tell my tutor that I am sorry about that supper.”

“Well, he was rather a beast.”

“I think,” said Jock, who had the most capacity for seeing things from other people’s point of view, “we did enough to put him in a wax.  It was more through me than any one else, and I shall write at once, and get it off my mind before to-morrow.”

“Very well.  If you’ll write, I’ll sign,” said Cecil.  “Mother said I ought when I saw her in London, but she didn’t order me.  She said she left it to my proper feeling.”

“And you hadn’t any?”

“I was going to stick by you,” said Cecil, rather sulkily; on which Jock rewarded him with something sounding like—-

“What a donkey you can be!”

However, with many writhings and gruntings the letter was indited, and Jock was as much wearied out as if he had taken a long walk, so that his mother feared that Engelberg was going to disagree with him.  He had not energy enough to go out in the evening of Saturday to meet the new arrivals, but stayed with Armine, who was in a state of restless joy and excitement, marvelling at him, and provoking him by this surprise as if it were censure.

With his forehead against the window, Armine watched and did his utmost to repress the eagerness that seemed to irritate his brother, and at last gave vent to an irrepressible hurrah.

“There they are!  Cecil has got his sister!  Oh! and there she is!  Babie-—holding on to mother, and that must be Mrs. Evelyn with Fordham-—and there’s Elf making up already to the Doctor!  Aren’t you coming down, Jock?”

“Not I!  I don’t want to see you make a fool of yourself before everybody!-—I say-—you’ll have to come up stairs again, you know!  Shut the door I say!"-—shouted Jock, as he found Armine deaf to all his expostulations, and then getting up, he banged it himself, and then shuffling back to the sofa, put his hands over his face and exclaimed, “There!  What an eternal brute I am!”

A few moments more and the door was open again, and Cecil, with his arm round his sister, thrust her forwards, exclaiming—-"Here he is, Syd.”

Jock had recovered his gentlemanly manners enough to shake hands courteously, as well as to receive and return Babie’s kiss, when she and Armine staggered in together, reeling under their weight of delight.  Janet kissed him too, and then, scanning both brothers, observed to her mother—-

“I think Lucas is the more altered of the two.”  In which sentiment Elvira seemed to agree, for she put her hands behind her and exclaimed—-

“O Jock, you do look such a fright; I never knew how like Janet you were!”

“You are letting every one know what a spiteful little Elf you can be,” returned Janet, indignantly.  “Can’t you give poor Jock a kinder greeting?”