R 2

Mrs. Farnaby stood at the door of her own room, and looked at her niece
with an air of contemptuous curiosity.

"Well? You and your lover have had a fine time of it together, I
suppose? What do you want here?"

"Amelius wishes particularly to speak to you, aunt."

"Tell him to save himself the trouble. He may reconcile your uncle to
his marriage--he won't reconcile Me."

"It's not about that, aunt; it's about Phoebe."

"Does he want me to take Phoebe back again?"

At that moment Amelius appeared in the hall, and answered the question
himself. "I want to give you a word of warning," he said.

Mrs. Farnaby smiled grimly. "That excites my curiosity," she replied.
"Come in. I don't want _you,"_ she added, dismissing her niece at the
door. "So you're willing to wait ten years for Regina?" she continued,
when Amelius was alone with her. "I'm disappointed in you; you're a poor
weak creature, after all. What about that young hussy, Phoebe?"

Amelius told her unreservedly all that had passed between the discarded
maid and himself, not forgetting, before he concluded, to caution her on
the subject of the maid's companion. "I don't know what that man may
not do to mislead Phoebe," he said. "If I were you, I wouldn't drive her
into a corner."

Mrs. Farnaby eyed him scornfully from head to foot. "You used to have
the spirit of a man in you," she answered. "Keeping company with Regina
has made you a milksop already. If you want to know what I think of
Phoebe and her sweetheart--" she stopped, and snapped her fingers.
"There!" she said, "that's what I think! Now go back to Regina. I can
tell you one thing--she will never be your wife."

Amelius looked at her in quiet surprise. "It seems odd," he remarked,
"that you should treat me as you do, after what you said to me, the last
time I was in this room. You expect me to help you in the dearest wish
of your life--and you do everything you can to thwart the dearest wish
of _my_ life. A man can't keep his temper under continual provocation.
Suppose I refuse to help you?"

Mrs. Farnaby looked at him with the most exasperating composure. "I defy
you to do it," she answered.

"You defy me to do it!" Amelius exclaimed.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Mrs. Farnaby went on. "Do you think I don't
know you better than you know yourself?" She stepped up close to him;
her voice sank suddenly to low and tender tones. "If that last unlikely
chance should turn out in my favour," she