waive all these objections, and we can talk over the story to-morrow.'
Then I told her about my invitation for this evening, and about the
beautiful Miss Hamilton, whose sweet face had interested me. And when we
had chatted quite comfortably for a little while I rose to take my leave.

Of course she could not let me go without one sharp little word.

'You have been kinder to me to-day,' she said, pausing slightly. 'I
suppose that is because I let you take your own way with me.'

'Every one likes his own way,' I said lightly. 'If I have been kinder to
you, as you say, possibly it is because you have deserved kindness more.'
And I smiled at her and patted the thin hand, as though she were a child,
and so 'went on my way rejoicing,' as they say in the good old Book.

CHAPTER XV

UP AT GLADWYN

Uncle Max had never been famous for punctuality. He was slightly Bohemian
in his habits, and rather given to desultory bachelor ways; but his
domestic timekeeper, Mrs. Drabble, ruled him most despotically in the
matter of meals, and it was amusing to see how she kept him and Mr. Tudor
in order: neither of them ventured to keep the dinner waiting, for fear
of the housekeeper's black looks; such an offence they knew would be
expiated by cold fish and burnt-up steaks. Uncle Max might invite the
bishop to dine, but if his lordship chose to be late Mrs. Drabble would
take no pains to keep her dinner hot.

'If gentlemen like to shilly-shally with their food, they must take
things as they find them,' she would say; and if her master ever ventured
to remonstrate with her, she took care that he should suffer for it for a
week.

'We must humour Mother Drabble,' Mr. Tudor would say good-humouredly.
'Every one has a crotchet, and, after all, she is a worthy little woman,
and makes us very comfortable. I never knew what good cooking meant until
I came to the vicarage.' And indeed Mrs. Drabble's custards and flaky
crust were famed in the village. Miss Darrell had once begged very humbly
that her cook Parker might take a lesson from her, but Mrs. Drabble
refused point-blank.

'There were those who liked to teach others, and plenty of them, but she
was one who minded her own business and kept her own recipes. If Miss
Darrell wanted a custard made she was willing to do it for her and
welcome, but she wanted no gossiping prying cooks about her kitchen.'

As I knew Max's peculiarity, I was somewhat surprised when, long before
the a