Nothing surprised her more than Miss Goldsmith’s reception.  Conscious of her neglect, she expected the stiff manner to be more formal than ever; but the welcome was almost warm, and there was something caressing in her fears that Miss Kendal would be tired.  Mr. Goldsmith was not quite well, there were threatenings of gout, and his sister had persuaded him to visit the relations at Bristol next week; everything might safely be trusted to young More, and therewith came such praise of his steadiness and ability, that Albinia did not know which way to look when all was ascribed to Mr. Kendal’s great kindness to him.

It was too palpable to be altogether pleasant.  Sophia Kendal was heiress enough to be a very desirable connexion for the bank.  Albinia was afraid she should see through the lady’s graciousness, and took her leave in haste; but Sophy only said, ’Do you remember, mamma, when the Goldsmiths thought we unsettled him?’

Before Albinia had disarmed her reply of the irony on the tip of her tongue, the omnibus came lumbering round the corner, and a voice proceeded from the rear, the door flew open, and there was a rapid exit.

Face and voice, light step, and gay bearing, all were Fred—­the empty sleeve, the sole resemblance to the shattered convalescent of a few weeks back.

’There, Albinia!  I said you should see her first.  You haven’t got any change, have you?’ the last being addressed either to Albinia, the omnibus conductor, or a lady, who made a tender of two shillings, while Albinia ordered the luggage on to Willow Lawn, though something was faintly said about the inn.

‘And there!’ cried Fred, with an emphatic twist of his moustache, ‘isn’t she all I ever told you?’

‘The last thing was a brick,’ said Albinia, laughing, as she looked at the smiling, confiding, animated face, not the less pleasant for a French Canadian grace that recalled Genevieve.

‘The right article for building a hut, I hope,’ she said, merrily.

‘But how and when could you have come?’

’This morning, from Liverpool.  We did not mean to storm you in this manner; we meant to have settled ourselves at the inn, and walked down; Emily was very particular about it.’

‘But you see, when he saw you, he forgot all my lectures!’ said Emily, taking his welcome for granted.

’Very proper of him!  But, Fred, I don’t quite believe it yet.  How long is it since we parted?’

’Six weeks; just enough to go to Canada and back, with a fortnight in the middle to spare.’

‘And pray how long has Mrs. Fred existed?’

‘Three weeks and two days;’ and turning half round to give her the benefit of his words, ’it was on purely philanthropic principles, because I could not tie my own necktie.’

‘Now could I,’ said Emily pleadingly to Sophy—­’now could I let him go back again alone, when he came so helpless, and looking so dreadfully ill?’