he face of Providence, I call it, to go
on perpetually stirring up his ashes like that. I hope you mean to try
and be a little more cheerful with those poor girls. But, there, I
believe you are never so happy as when you are miserable. And it's a
poor creature you would be at any time," added the old lady to
herself, after a second thoughtful investigation of Miss Landale's
countenance, which had assumed an expression of mulishness in addition
to an increase of dolefulness during this homily.

Here, to Miss Landale's great relief, the dying sunset, wavering into
crimson and purple, from its first glory of liquid gold, attracted her
aunt's attention, and Miss O'Donoghue went over to the window.

Beneath her spread the quaint garden, with its clipped box edges, and
beyond the now leafless belt of trees, upon the glimmer of the bay,
the outline of Scarthey, a dark silhouette rose fantastically against
the vivid sky. Even as she gazed, there leapt upon its fairy turret a
minute point of white.

The jovial old countenance changed and darkened.

"And Adrian is still at his fool's game over there, I suppose," she
said irately turning upon Sophia. "When have you seen him last? How
often does he come here? I gather Master Rupert is nothing if not the
master. Why don't you answer me, Sophia?"

* * * * *

The dinner was as well cooked and served a meal as any under Rupert's
rule, which is saying a good deal, and if the young ladies failed to
appreciate the "floating island," the "golden nests," and "silver
web," so thoughtfully provided for them, Tanty did ample justice to
the venison.

Indeed the cloud which had been visible upon her countenance at the
beginning of dinner, and which according to that downright habit of
mind, which rendered her so terrible or so delightful a companion, she
made no attempt to conceal, began to lift towards the first remove,
and altogether vanished over her final glass of port.

After dinner she peremptorily ordered her grand-nieces into the
retirement of their bedchambers, unblushingly alleging their exhausted
condition in front of the perfect bloom of their beautiful young
vigour.

She then, over a cup of tea, luxuriously stretching her thin frame in
the best arm-chair the drawing-room could afford, gave Rupert a brief
code of directions as to the special attentions and care she desired
to be bestowed upon her wards, during their residence at Pulwick,
des