again already. She had driven into town to lunch with
her aunt. Turlington went into the house.

"Have you lost any money?" Those were the first words uttered by Sir
Joseph when he and Richard met again, after the parting on board the
yacht.

"Not a farthing. I might have lost seriously, if I had not got back in
time to set things straight. Stupidity on the part of my people left in
charge--nothing more. It's all right now."

Sir Joseph lifted his eyes, with heartfelt devotion, to the ceiling.
"Thank God, Richard!" he said, in tones of the deepest feeling. He rang
the bell. "Tell Miss Graybrooke Mr. Turlington is here." He turned again
to Richard. "Lavinia is like me--Lavinia has been so anxious about you.
We have both of us passed a sleepless night." Miss Lavinia came in. Sir
Joseph hurried to meet her, and took her affectionately by both hands.
"My dear! the best of all good news, Richard has not lost a farthing."
Miss Lavinia lifted _her_ eyes to the ceiling with heartfelt devotion,
and said, "Thank God, Richard!"--like the echo of her brother's voice;
a little late, perhaps, for its reputation as an echo, but accurate to
half a note in its perfect repetition of sound.

Turlington asked the question which it had been his one object to put in
paying his visit to Muswell Hill.

"Have you spoken to Natalie?"

"This morning," replied Sir Joseph. "An opportunity offered itself after
breakfast. I took advantage of it, Richard--you shall hear how."

He settled himself in his chair for one of his interminable stories; he
began his opening sentence--and stopped, struck dumb at the first
word. There was an unexpected obstacle in the way--his sister was not
attending to him; his sister had silenced him at starting. The story
touching, this time, on the question of marriage, Miss Lavinia had her
woman's interest in seeing full justice done to the subject. She seized
on her brother's narrative as on property in her own right.

"Joseph should have told you," she began, addressing herself to
Turlington, "that our dear girl was unusually depressed in spirits this
morning. Quite in the right frame of mind for a little serious talk
about her future life. She ate nothing at breakfast, poor child, but a
morsel of dry toast."

"And marmalade," said Sir Joseph, striking in at the first opportunity.
The story, on this occasion, being Miss Lavinia's story, the polite
contradictions necessary to its successful progress were natura