d had a disappointment in
her youth, as a result of which she now played the ungrateful _role_
of old maid of the family. She suffered from chronic toothache, as
well as from repressed romantic aspirations, and was the _ame damnee_
of Rupert. One of the most melancholy of human beings, she was tersely
characterised by the village folk as a "_wummicky_ poor thing."

At the sight of Mr. Landale's weighted brow she propped up her own
long sallow face, upon its aching side, with a trembling hand, and,
full of agonised prescience, ventured to ask if anything had happened.

"Sit down," said her brother, with a sort of snarl--He possessed an
extremely irritable temper under his cool sarcastic exterior, a temper
which his peculiar anomalous circumstances, whilst they combined to
excite it, forced him to conceal rigidly from most, and it was a
relief to him to let it out occasionally upon Sophia's meek, ringleted
head.

Sophia collapsed with hasty obedience into a chair, and then Mr.
Landale handed to her the thin fluttering sheets, voluminously crossed
and re-crossed with fine Italian handwriting:

"From Tanty," ejaculated Miss Sophia, "Oh my dear Rupert!"

"Read it," said Rupert peremptorily. "Read it aloud."

And throwing himself back upon his chair, he shaded his mouth with one
flexible thin hand, and prepared himself to listen.

"CAMDEN PLACE, BATH, October 29th," read the maiden lady in those
plaintive tones, which seemed to send out all speech upon the breath
of a sigh. "MY DEAR RUPERT,--You will doubtless be astonished, but
your invariably affectionate Behaviour towards myself inclines me to
believe that you will also be _pleased_ to hear, from these few lines,
that very shortly after their receipt--if indeed not before--you may
expect to see me arrive at Pulwick Priory."

Miss Landale put down the letter, and gazed at her brother through
vacant mists of astonishment.

"Why, I thought Tanty said she would not put foot in Pulwick again
till Adrian returned home."

Rupert measured the innocent elderly countenance with a dark look. He
had sundry excellent reasons, other than mere family affection, for
remaining on good terms with his rich Irish aunt, but he had likewise
reasons, these less obvious, for wishing to pay his devoirs to her
anywhere but under the roof of which he was nominal master.

"She has found it convenient to change her mind," he said, with his
twisting lip. "Constancy in your sex, my dear, is