nest entreaties to come in and see some
Florentine photographs, growing stiffer and graver each moment,
while his wife waxed more wrathful at the treatment which she knew
was wounding her friend, and began almost to glory in having
incurred his displeasure herself. Indeed, this feeling caused the
exchange of another kiss between the ladies before Sir Harry handed
Cecil into the carriage, and Raymond took the yellow paper books
that were held out to her.

Looking at the title as they drove off, he said quietly, "I did not
mean to deprive you, Cecil; I had ordered Lanfrey from Bennet for
you."

She was somewhat abashed, but was excited enough to answer, "Thank
you. I am going to join Lady Tyrrell and Mrs. Duncombe in a
subscription to Rolandi's."

He started, and after a pause of a few moments said gently, "Are you
sure that Mr. and Mrs. Charnock would like to trust your choice of
foreign books to Mrs. Duncombe?"

Taking no notice of the point of this question, she replied, "If it
is an object to exchange books at home faster than I can read them
properly, I must look for a supply elsewhere."

"You had better subscribe alone," he replied, still without manifest
provocation.

"That would be uncivil now."

"I take that upon myself."

Wherewith there came a silence; while Cecil swelled as she thought
of the prejudice against her friend, and Raymond revolved all he had
ever heard about creatures he knew so little as women, to enable him
to guess how to deal with this one. How reprove so as not to make
it worse? Ought not his silent displeasure to suffice? And in such
musings the carriage reached home.

It had been an untoward day. He had been striving hard against the
stream at Willansborough. The drainage was not only scouted as an
absurd, unreasonable, and expensive fancy, but the architect whom he
had recommended, in the hope that he would insist on ground-work
which might bring on the improvement, had been rejected in favour of
a kinsman of Mr. Briggs, the out-going mayor, a youth of the lower
walk of the profession--not the scholar and gentleman he had
desired, for the tradesman intellect fancied such a person would be
expensive and unmanageable.

Twin plans for church and town-hall had been produced, which to
Raymond's taste savoured of the gimcrack style, but which infinitely
delighted all the corporation; and where he was the only cultivated
gentleman, except the timid Vicar, his reasonings were