un when you're young to look forward to
things."

"Certainly tell Mary, and let her go as soon as her grandmother will
have her. She'd better get what clothes she wants in town."

"She can go up with Grantly when he goes back to the Shop. It _is_
nice of you, Larrie."

"I suppose she must stay for this tiresome dinner? Why not let her go
beforehand? It's always very easy to get an odd girl."

"That wouldn't do," Mrs Ffolliot said decidedly, "the child would be
disappointed--besides I want her."

Mr Ffolliot sighed. "As you will, my dear," he said meekly, "but she'd
better go directly it is over."

CHAPTER XXII

THE DREAM GOES ON

"Aunt Susan, will you give me a bed on Thursday night?"

Eloquent, who was spending the Easter recess at Marlehouse, had
bicycled out to tea with Miss Gallup.

"You know as I'm always pleased to give you a bed any time. What do
you want it then for? Are you coming to stop a bit?"

"Because," Eloquent took a deep breath and watched his aunt closely,
"I'm dining at the Manor that night."

"Then," said Miss Gallup sharply, "you don't have a bed here."

"Why ever not?" and in his astonishment Eloquent dropped into the
Garsetshire idiom he was usually so careful to avoid.

"Because," Miss Gallup was flushed and tremulous, "no one shall ever
say I was as a drag on you."

"But, Aunt Susan, no one could say it, and if they did, what would it
matter? and what in the world has that to do with giving me a bed?"

"My dear," said Miss Gallup, "I know my place if you don't. When you
goes to dinner with Squire Ffolliot you must go properly from
Marlehouse like anybody else--you must drive out, or hire a motor and
put it up there, same as other people do, and go back again to your own
house where you're known to be--it's in the paper. There's no sort of
use draggin' _me_ in. I always knew as you'd get there some day, and
now you've got there and no one's pleasder than me. Do show me the
invitation."

Eloquent took a note from his breast-pocket and handed it to his aunt,
who put on her spectacles and read aloud, slowly and impressively:--

Dear Mr Gallup,--If you have no other engagement, will you come and
dine with us on the twenty-first at eight o'clock. It will give us
great pleasure if you can.--Yours sincerely,

MARGERY FFOLLIOT.

"H'm, now that's not what I should have expected," Miss Gallup said in
a disappointed tone. "_I_ should have thought she'd 'a sai