get.

"At any rate, Mr Armstrong," said Lord Cashel, as the parson was bowing
himself backwards out of the room, "you will join our family circle
while you are in the neighbourhood. Whatever may be the success of your
mission--and I assure you I hope it may be such as will be gratifying
to you, I am happy to make the acquaintance of any friend of Lord
Ballindine's, when Lord Ballindine chooses his friends so well." (This
was meant as a slap at Dot Blake.) "You will give me leave to send down
to the town for your luggage." Mr Armstrong made no objection to this
proposal, and the luggage was sent for.

The powder-haired servant again took him in tow, and ushered him out of
the book-room, across the hall through the billiard-room, and into the
library; gave him a chair, and then brought him a newspaper, giving him
to understand that Miss Wyndham would soon be with him.

The parson took the paper in his hands, but he did not trouble himself
much with the contents of it. What was he to say to Miss Wyndham?--how
was he to commence? He had never gone love-making for another in his
life; and now, at his advanced age, it really did come rather strange
to him. And then he began to think whether she were short or tall, dark
or fair, stout or slender. It certainly was very odd, but, in all their
conversations on the subject, Lord Ballindine had never given him any
description of his inamorata. Mr Armstrong, however, had not much time
to make up his mind on any of these points, for the door opened, and
Miss Wyndham entered.

She was dressed in black, for she was, of course, still in mourning for
her brother; but, in spite of her sable habiliments, she startled the
parson by the brilliance of her beauty. There was a quiet dignity of
demeanour natural to Fanny Wyndham; a well-balanced pose, and a grace
of motion, which saved her from ever looking awkward or confused. She
never appeared to lose her self-possession. Though never arrogant, she
seemed always to know what was due to herself. No insignificant puppy
could ever have attempted to flirt with her.

When summoned by the servant to meet a strange clergyman alone in the
library, at the request of Lord Cashel, she felt that his visit must
have some reference to her lover; indeed, her thoughts for the last few
days had run on little else. She had made up her mind to talk to her
cousin about him; then, her cousin had matured that determination
by making love to her himself: then,