hat tailor
fellow gone back to London yet?"

Butler told his father that the tailor had at least gone away from
Baslehurst; and then the two younger men went out and walked about
the grounds till dinner time.

It was Mrs. Butler Cornbury who gave soul and spirit to daily
life at Cornbury Grange,--who found the salt with which the bread
was quickened, and the wine with which the heart was made glad.
Marvellous is the power which can be exercised, almost unconsciously,
over a company, or an individual, or even upon a crowd by one person
gifted with good temper, good digestion, good intellects, and good
looks. A woman so endowed charms not only by the exercise of her own
gifts, but she endows those who are near her with a sudden conviction
that it is they whose temper, health, talents, and appearance is
doing so much for society. Mrs. Butler Cornbury was such a woman as
this. The Grange was a popular house. The old squire was not found to
be very dull. The young squire was thought to be rather clever. The
air of the house was lively and bracing. Men and women did not find
the days there to be over long. And Mrs. Butler Cornbury did it all.

Rowan did not see her till he met her in the drawing-room, just
before dinner, when he found that two or three other ladies were
also staying there. She came up to him when he entered the room, and
greeted him as though he were an old friend. All conversation at that
moment of course had reference to the election. Thanks were given and
congratulations received; and when old Mr. Cornbury shook his head,
his daughter-in-law assured him that there would be nothing to fear.

"I don't know what you call nothing to fear, my dear. I call two
thousand pounds a great deal to fear."

"I shouldn't wonder if we don't hear another word about him," said
she.

The old man uttered a long sigh. "It seems to me," said he, "that no
gentleman ought to stand for a seat in Parliament since these people
have been allowed to come up. Purity of election, indeed! It makes me
sick. Come along, my dear." Then he gave his arm to one of the young
ladies, and toddled into the dining-room.

Mrs. Butler Cornbury said nothing special to Luke Rowan on that
evening, but she made the hours very pleasant to him. All those
half-morbid ideas as to social difference between himself and his
host's family soon vanished. The house was very comfortable, the
girls were very pretty, Mrs. Cornbury was very kind, and everythi