ations had been made to receive her. She was shown into the
drawing-room, which had not a displaced chair, and where the
many-coloured Axminster and the cherished brocade still looked as good
as new. Almost her first act was to search for the grease marks on the
sofa--the spot was indicated by a bleached patch--and she sat down on
it, alone for a few minutes. On this occasion the old aunt had been
ordered to keep in the background; Ruby also, after due consideration
of her claims, had been denied the share she clamoured for of the
impending excitement, and sent out of the house; Mary had had her
directions, and remained invisible for a time. She was employed in
getting Robert ready for inspection--brushing his best jacket, tying
his best neck-tie, etc., while he jerked about under her hands, and
freely criticised her labours on his behalf. For Robert took after his
father as a knowing person. He was, in fact, a bright and clever lad,
who knew some things better than his mother did. She was ever proud to
admit it; but his own open acceptance of superiority, and readiness to
keep it before her eyes at all times, was one of the secret crosses of
her life, weighed down with so many. However, if you marry the wrong
man, you cannot expect to have the right children, and it was something
that this boy had the genuineness of his intellectual gifts to give her
an excuse to adore him.

"There, that will do. It is very bad form, you know, to be so fussy
about people coming, and so anxious about what they may think about
you," the young authority upon etiquette instructed the fine-fibred
gentlewoman, who had done him the honour to be his mother. And Mary
took the rebuke humbly.

Bennet Goldsworthy, alone, came softly into the drawing-room to receive
the distinguished guest. He had grown fat and tubby, and a phrase of
Claud Dalzell's flashed into Deb's memory as she marked the manner of
his approach--"that crawling ass, that would lick your boots for
sixpence". The noonday sun does not affect polished metal more
obviously than Deb's wealth affected him.

"This is good of you," he murmured brokenly, pressing her gloved hand.
"This is indeed good of you!" "I ought to have been before," she
returned graciously--it was so easy to be gracious to him now--"I have
been wanting to come; but you cannot imagine how many hindrances I have
had."

"Oh, but I can indeed!" with earnest emphasis--"I can indeed! And have
grieved that I was not