‘I don’t think they’ll care for wine and cake.’

’Will you do as I tell you?  What matters whether they care for it or not.  They need not take it.  It will look better for Miss Dorothy.  If Dorothy is to remain here I shall choose that she should be respected.’  And so the question of the cake and wine had been decided overnight.  But when the morning came Miss Stanbury was still in a twitter.  Half-past ten had been the hour fixed for the visit, in consequence of there being a train in from Lessboro’, due at the Exeter station at ten.  As Miss Stanbury breakfasted always at half-past eight, there was no need of hurry on account of the expected visit.  But, nevertheless, she was in a fuss all the morning; and spoke of the coming period as one in which she must necessarily put herself into solitary confinement.

‘Perhaps your mamma will be cold,’ she said, ‘and will expect a fire.’

‘Oh, dear, no, Aunt Stanbury.’

’It could be lighted of course.  It is a pity they should come just so as to prevent you from going to morning service; is it not?’

’I could go with you, aunt, and be back very nearly in time.  They won’t mind waiting a quarter of an hour.’

’What; and have them here all alone!  I wouldn’t think of such a thing.  I shall go up-stairs.  You had better come to me when they are gone.  Don’t hurry them.  I don’t want you to hurry them at all; and if you require anything, Martha will wait upon you.  I have told the girls to keep out of the way.  They are so giddy, there’s no knowing what they might be after.  Besides they’ve got their work to mind.’

All this was very terrible to poor Dorothy, who had not as yet quite recovered from the original fear with which her aunt had inspired her—­ so terrible that she was almost sorry that her mother and sister were coming to her.  When the knock was heard at the door, precisely as the cathedral clock was striking half-past ten, to secure which punctuality, and thereby not to offend the owner of the mansion, Mrs Stanbury and Priscilla had been walking about the Close for the last ten minutes Miss Stanbury was still in the parlour.

‘There they are!’ she exclaimed, jumping up.  ’They haven’t given a body much time to run away, have they, my dear?  Half a minute, Martha just half a minute!’ Then she gathered up her things as though she had been ill-treated in being driven to make so sudden a retreat, and Martha, as soon as the last hem of her mistress’s dress had become invisible on the stairs, opened the front door for the visitors.

‘Do you mean to say you like it?’ said Priscilla, when they had been there about a quarter of an hour.

‘H u sh,’ whispered Mrs Stanbury.

‘I don’t suppose she’s listening at the door,’ said Priscilla.

‘Indeed, she’s not,’ said Dorothy.  ’There can’t be a truer, honester woman, than Aunt Stanbury.’

‘But is she kind to you, Dolly?’ asked the mother.