e would by
all means have the pleasure of dining with him, if he did not object to
her company on the ground of the Doones' dishonesty; moreover, she said
that it would seem a most foolish air on her part, and one which would
cause the greatest pain to Annie, who had been so good to her, if she
should refuse to sit at table with a man who held the King's pardon, and
was now a pattern of honesty.

Against this I had not a word to say; and could not help acknowledging
in my heart that she was right, as well as wise, in her decision. And
afterwards I discovered that mother would have been much displeased, if
she had decided otherwise.

Accordingly she turned away, with one of her very sweetest smiles (whose
beauty none can describe) saying that she must not meet a man of such
fashion and renown, in her common gardening frock; but must try to look
as nice as she could, if only in honour of dear Annie. And truth to
tell, when she came to dinner, everything about her was the neatest
and prettiest that can possibly be imagined. She contrived to match
the colours so, to suit one another and her own, and yet with a certain
delicate harmony of contrast, and the shape of everything was so nice,
so that when she came into the room, with a crown of winning modesty
upon the consciousness of beauty, I was quite as proud as if the Queen
of England entered.

My mother could not help remarking, though she knew that it was not
mannerly, how like a princess Lorna looked, now she had her best things
on; but two things caught Squire Faggus's eyes, after he had made a
most gallant bow, and received a most graceful courtesy; and he kept his
bright bold gaze upon them, first on one, and then on the other, until
my darling was hot with blushes, and I was ready to knock him down if he
had not been our visitor. But here again I should have been wrong, as I
was apt to be in those days; for Tom intended no harm whatever, and his
gaze was of pure curiosity; though Annie herself was vexed with it. The
two objects of his close regard, were first, and most worthily, Lorna's
face, and secondly, the ancient necklace restored to her by Sir Ensor
Doone.

Now wishing to save my darling's comfort, and to keep things quiet, I
shouted out that dinner was ready, so that half the parish could hear
me; upon which my mother laughed, and chid me, and despatched her guests
before her. And a very good dinner we made, I remember, and a very
happy one; attending to