as though she believed
every word that she spoke.

On the following day the two gentlemen came over, according to
custom, and Alice observed that Miss Fairstairs hardly spoke to Mr
Cheesacre. Indeed her manner of avoiding that gentleman was so very
marked, that it was impossible not to observe it. They drank tea out
of doors, and when Mr Cheesacre on one occasion sauntered across
towards the end of the bench on which Charlie was sitting, Charlie
got up and walked away. And in strolling about the place afterwards,
and in going up through the wood, she was at great pains to attach
herself to some other person, so that there should be no such
attaching between her and the owner of Oileymead. At one time Mr
Cheesacre did get close up to her and spoke some word, some very
indifferent word. He knew that he was being cut and he wanted to
avoid the appearance of a scene. "I don't know, sir," said Charlie,
again moving away with excellent dignity, and she at once attached
herself to Alice who was close by. "I know you have just come home
from Switzerland," said Charlie. "Beautiful Switzerland! My heart
pants for Switzerland. Do tell me something about Switzerland!" Mr
Cheesacre had heard that Alice was the dear friend of a lady who
would probably some day become a duchess. He therefore naturally
held her in awe, and slunk away. On this occasion Mrs Greenow clung
lovingly to her future husband, and the effect was that Mr Cheesacre
found himself to be very much alone and unhappy. He had generally
enjoyed these days at Vavasor Hall, having found himself, or fancied
himself, to be the dominant spirit there. That Mrs Greenow was always
in truth the dominant spirit I need hardly say; but she knew how to
make a companion happy, and well also how to make him wretched. On
the whole of this day poor Cheesacre was very wretched.

"I don't think I shall go there any more," he said to Bellfield, as
he drove the gig back to Penrith that evening.

"Not go there any more, Cheesy," said Bellfield; "why, we are to have
the dinner out in the field on Friday. It's your own bespeak."

"Well, yes; I'll go on Friday, but not after that."

"You'll stop and see me turned off, old fellow?"

"What's the use? You'll get your wife, and that's enough for you. The
truth is, that since that girl came down from London with her d----d
airs;"--the girl from London with the airs was poor Alice,--"the
place is quite changed. I'm blessed if the whole thing is