‘Sophy seems to take it for granted that he will not.’

’Irishman as he is, he must be pretty secure of his ground before coming to such strong measures.  Well!  I hope we may hear no more of brow-ague.  But—­’ with sudden recollection—­’I thought, Albinia, you fancied he had some inclination for Sophy?’

Was it not a good wife to suppress the ‘You did’?  If she could merrily have said, ‘You told me so,’ it would have been all very well, but her mood would admit of nothing but a grave and guarded answer—­’We did fancy so, but I am convinced it was entirely without reason.’

That superior smile at her lively imagination was more than human nature could bear, without the poor relief of an entreaty that he would not sit meditating, and go to sleep in his chair.

Albinia thought she had recovered equanimity during her night’s rest, but in the midst of her morning toilette, Sophy hurried in, exclaiming, ‘She’ll go away!  She is writing letters and packing!’ and she answered, ’Well, what do you want me to do?  You don’t imagine that I can rush into her room and lay hands on her?  She will not go upon a wishing-carpet.  It will be time to interfere when we know more of the matter.’

Sophy looked blank, and vanished, and Albinia felt excessively vexed at having visited on the chief sufferer her universal crossness with all mankind.  She knew she had only spoken common sense, but that made it doubly hateful; and yet she could not but wish Miss Durant anywhere out of sight, and Mr. O’More on the top of the Hill of Howth.

At breakfast, Sophy’s looks betrayed nothing to the uninitiated, though Albinia detected a feverish restlessness and covert impatience, and judged that her sleep had been little.  Genevieve’s had perhaps been less, for she was very sallow, with sunken eyes, and her face looked half its usual size; but Albinia could not easily have compassion on the poor little unwitting traitress, even when she began, ’Dear Mrs. Kendal, will you excuse me if I take a sudden leave?  I find it will answer best for me to accept Mrs. Elwood’s invitation; I can then present myself to any lady who may wish to see me, and, as I promised my aunt another visit, I had better go to Hadminster by the three o’clock omnibus.’

Albinia was thankful for the loud opposition which drowned the faint reluctance of her own; Mr. Kendal insisting that she should not leave them; little Awk coaxing her; and Maurice exclaiming, ’If the ladies want her, let them come after her!  One always goes to see a horse.’

‘I’m not so well worth the trouble, Maurice.’

’I know Ulick O’More would come in to see you when all the piebalds for the show were going by!’

‘Some day you will come to the same good taste,’ said his father, to lessen the general confusion.

‘See a lady instead of a piebald?  Never!’ cried Maurice with indignation, that made the most preoccupied laugh; under cover of which Genevieve effected a retreat.  Sophy looked imploringly at Albinia—­Albinia was moving, but not with alacrity, and Mr. Kendal was saying, ‘I do not understand all this,’ when, scarcely pausing to knock, Ulick opened the door, cheeks and eyes betraying scarcely repressed eagerness.