‘This is papa,’ said Nora.  ’Papa, this is our friend, Mr Hugh Stanbury.’  The introduction was made in a manner almost absurdly formal, but poor Nora’s difficulties lay heavy upon her.  Sir Marmaduke muttered something but it was little more than a grunt.  ’Mamma and Emily are out,’ continued Nora.  ‘I dare say they will be in soon.’  Sir Marmaduke looked round sharply at the man.  Why was he to be encouraged to stay till Lady Rowley should return?  Lady Rowley did not want to see him.  It seemed to Sir Marmaduke, in the midst of his troubles, that this was no time to be making new acquaintances.  ’These are my sisters, Mr Stanbury,’ continued Nora.  ‘This is Sophia, and this is Lucy.’  Sophia and Lucy would have been thoroughly willing to receive their sister’s lover with genial kindness if they had been properly instructed, and if the time had been opportune; but, as it was, they had nothing to say.  They, also, could only mutter some little sound intended to be more courteous than their father’s grunt.  Poor Nora!

‘I hope you are comfortable here,’ said Hugh.

‘The house is all very well,’ said Nora, ’but we don’t like the neighbourhood.’

Hugh also felt that conversation was difficult.  He had soon come to perceive before he had been in the room half a minute that the atmosphere was not favourable to his mission.  There was to be no embracing or permission for embracing on the present occasion.  Had he been left alone with Sir Marmaduke he would probably have told his business plainly, let Sir Marmaduke’s manner to him have been what it might; but it was impossible for him to do this with three young ladies in the room with him.  Seeing that Nora was embarrassed by her difficulties, and that Nora’s father was cross and silent, he endeavoured to talk to the other girls, and asked them concerning their journey and the ship in which they had come.  But it was very up-hill work.  Lucy and Sophy could talk as glibly as any young ladies home from any colony, and no higher degree of fluency can be expressed, but now they were cowed.  Their elder sister was shamefully and most undeservedly disgraced, and this man had had something—­they knew not what—­to do with it.  ‘Is Priscilla quite well?’ Nora asked at last.

’Quite well.  I heard from her yesterday.  You know they have left the Clock House.’

‘I had not heard it.’

’Oh yes and they are living in a small cottage just outside the village.  And what else do you think has happened?’

‘Nothing bad, I hope, Mr Stanbury.’

’My sister Dorothy has left her aunt, and is living with them again at Nuncombe.’

‘Has there been a quarrel, Mr Stanbury?’