f people as I find
them."

"You are a most extraordinary girl," remarked her mother.

But she made this remark so often that Antonia did not think it
necessary to reply.

By a late train in the afternoon the whole party were conveyed back to
the Grange, where Hester received them with rather a puzzled expression
on her face. As soon as possible she drew Annie aside, and began to
speak to her.

"I cannot imagine what is the matter," she said; "father is going on in
a most extraordinary way. You won't mind my speaking frankly, Annie, but
he seemed really quite relieved when you all went away. Then he got that
telegram from Mrs. Bernard Temple, and rushed off to town in a hurry. He
came back the following evening completely altered--very silent and
absorbed, but with a kind of change over him which Nan and I could not
help noticing. I asked him if he had seen anything of Squire Lorrimer,
and he looked hard at me and said--'I wonder if you are in it, too.'"

"Oh, I know, I know," said Annie softly, rubbing her hands; "dear
Antonia, dear Antonia."

"Oh, for pity's sake, Annie, don't you get mysterious," exclaimed
Hester, almost fretfully. "What can Antonia have to say to Squire
Lorrimer? Let me finish my story. I asked father if he had seen him, and
he replied, 'I have heard and seen enough of Lorrimer to fill all my
thoughts.' He would not tell me another word; but he went to town again
the next morning, and came back absolutely excited in the evening. Fancy
my father in a state of excitement! He was ever so nice to me; and when
Nan said that she must go to school almost immediately, he said that
Mrs. Willis should be invited to come back to the Grange, for he wanted
us all to have a happy meeting before his wedding. And he has been
telegraphing to all kinds of people all day, and I believe all the
Lorrimers are coming here to-morrow. Father said he wanted to have a
real, jolly time, and that everyone of the Lorrimers, even to little
Phil, and, of course, Jane Macalister, were to be asked. I ventured to
remind him that dear Molly and all of them were not just in the mood for
festivities at present, but he would not listen to me for a moment. He
said, that on such an auspicious occasion he must have his own way, and
that he would engage that they would be jolly enough when the time
came."

"So they will, I am sure," said Annie. "Did you say Mrs. Willis was
here, Hester?"

"Yes, she came an hour ago. She is in her