o keep one's self down. You can't keep
quiet and behave yourself when you are going to be married in a week:
unless you're a little chit of a girl without any feelings," he said
with a laugh. And Elinor laughed too; while Mrs. Dennistoun sat as grave
as a judge at the head of the table. But Phil was not daunted by her
serious face: so long as the road was quite clear he had all the
appearance of a perfectly easy mind.

"We have been talking about literature," he said. "I am a stupid fellow,
as perhaps you know, for that sort of thing. But Nell is to indoctrinate
me. We mean to take a big box of books, and I'm to be made to read
poetry and all sorts of fine things in my honeymoon."

"That is a new idea," said Mrs. Dennistoun. "I thought Elinor meant to
give up reading, on the other hand, to make things square."

There was a little breath of a protest from Elinor. "Oh, mamma!" but she
left the talk (he could do it so much better) in Compton's hand.

"I expect to figure as a sort of prodigy in my family," he said; "we're
not bookish. The Jew goes in for French novels, but I don't intend to
let Nell touch them, so you may be easy in your mind."

"I have no doubt Lady Mariamne makes a good selection," said Mrs.
Dennistoun.

"Not she! she reads whatever comes, and the more salt the better. The
Jew is quite an emancipated person. Don't you think she'll bore you
rather in this little house? She carries bales of rubbish with her
wherever she goes, and her maid, and her dog, and I don't know what. If
I were you I'd write, or better wire, and tell her there's a capital
train from Victoria will bring her here in time for the wedding, and
that it's a thousand pities she should disturb herself to come for the
night."

"If your sister can put up with my small accommodation, I shall of
course be happy to have her, whatever she brings with her," Mrs.
Dennistoun said.

"Oh! it's not a question of putting up--she'd be delighted, I'm sure:
but I think you'll find her a great bore. She is exceedingly fussy when
she has not all her things about her. However, you must judge for
yourself. But if you think better of it, wire a few words, and it'll be
all right. I'm to go to the old Rectory, Nell says."

"It is not a particularly old Rectory; it is a very nice, pleasant
house. I think you will find yourself quite comfortable--you and the
gentleman----"

"Dick Bolsover, who is going to see me through it: and I daresay I
should not sl