), none of them approached us
before dinner was announced. Sir Charles Wyndham then took me
in.

Just as we were sitting down, Mrs. Brandon called to Mr.
Ernsley, who was preparing to place himself in the chair on
the other side of me; "Dear Mr. Ernsley, won't you come and
sit by me? I do so long to hear what you think of Meldon Hall,
which I am told you went to see to-day." And as he obeyed her
directions, Henry Lovell slipped into the chair by my side,
which accounted to me for the look of intelligence which Mrs.
Brandon directed to our part of the table, to which he perhaps
responded, but to which I certainly did not. I was not sorry,
however, to have an opportunity of speaking to him, as I felt
curious to know how he would account for his sudden change of
plans, and I wished also to find out if he had been at
Salisbury during the last few days.

He immediately said to me, "Are you surprised at seeing me
here?"

"As much," I replied, "as to find that it is to you I am
indebted for being invited here at all."

"And if it was so, would it affront you?"

"It would not be particularly flattering."

"You would think it more flattering, would you, that a woman,
who has only seen you once, and that seven years ago, should
wish to see you again, than that I (and here he spoke in the
lowest possible whisper), after such days, such months, as I
spent at Elmsley, should have strained every nerve not to lose
sight of you."

"Then this has been a scheme of your forming? I hate
scheming."

"I was in London; I detested it, and I came here; but I wish
to God I had not I (he added, with more of passion than of
tenderness in his voice;) for my coming is evidently
disagreeable to you, and I cannot brook the coldness of your
manner (he continued, in a still increasing tone of
agitation). It puts me beside myself, Ellen, and makes a fool
of me, which is of all things what I most dislike to be made."

"What is it you most dislike to be made, Mr. Lovell?" inquired
Sir Charles Wyndham, who had been restless and fidgetty, till
he could catch at something in our conversation, which would
enable him to join in it.

"A fool, Sir Charles," answered Henry, with an expression of
countenance, which certainly did not bear in it any
consciousness of his own folly.

"The ladies make fools of us all," said Sir Charles, with a
bow to me.

"Unless they find us ready made," I heard Henry mutter, while
I was obliged to turn round and