esently his father went off to storm the den of the master of the
house, and there was a pleasant quarter of an hour, during which the
three went out through the conservatory, and Mark showed the
ins-and-outs of the garden, found out Ronaldson, and congratulated him
on having some one at last to appreciate his flowers, begging him to
make the conservatory beautiful. And Mrs. Egremont's smile was so
effective that the Scot forthwith took out his knife and presented her
with the most precious of the roses within his reach.

Moreover Mark told the names and ages of all his sisters, whole and
half. He was the only son, except a little fellow in the nursery. And
he exhorted his aunt not to be afraid of his step-mother, who was a
most excellent person, he declared, but who never liked to see any one
afraid of her.

There was something a little alarming in this, but on the whole the
visit was very pleasant and encouraging to Mrs. Egremont; and she began
rejoicing over the kindness as soon as the Canon had summoned his son,
and they had gone away together.

'I am sure you must be delighted with your uncle and cousin, my dear,'
she said.

'He's not a bit my notion of a priest,' returned Nuttie. 'And I don't
believe he has any daily prayers!'

'He is old-fashioned, my dear.'

'One of the stodgey old clergymen in books,' observed Nuttie. 'I
didn't think there were any of that sort left.'

'Oh, my dear, pray don't take fancies into your head! He is a very,
very good man, and has been most kind to me, far more than I deserve,
and he is your uncle, Nuttie. I do so hope you will get on well with
your cousins.'

Here a gong, a perfectly unknown sound to Nuttie, made itself heard,
and rather astonished her by the concluding roar. The two ladies came
out into the hall as Mr. Egremont was crossing it. He made an
inclination of the head, and uttered a sort of good morning to his
daughter, but she was perfectly content to have no closer salutation.
Having a healthy noonday appetite, her chief wish was at the moment
that those beautiful little cutlets, arranged in a crown form, were not
so very tiny; or that, with two men-servants looking on, it were
possible to attain to a second help, but she had already learnt that
Gregorio would not hear her, and that any attempt to obtain more food
frightened her mother.

'So his reverence has been to see you,' observed Mr. Egremont.
'William, if you like it better.'

'Oh yes, and