"You must not mind him, Mr. Cossey," answered Quest hastily. "The poor
old boy has a very good idea of himself--he is dreadfully injured
because Cossey and Son are calling in the mortgages after the family
has dealt with them for so many generations; and he thinks that you
have something to do with it."

"Well if he does he might as well be civil. It does not particularly
incline a fellow to go aside to pull him out of the ditch, just to be
cut in that fashion--I have half a mind to order my trap and go."

"No, no, don't do that--you must make allowances, you must indeed--
look, here is Miss de la Molle coming to ask you to play tennis."

At this moment Ida arrived and took off Edward Cossey with her, not a
little to the relief of Mr. Quest, who began to fear that the whole
scheme was spoiled by the Squire's unfortunate magnificence of manner.

Edward played his game, having Ida herself as his partner. It cannot
be said that the set was a pleasant one for the latter, who, poor
woman, was doing her utmost to bring up her courage to the point
necessary to the carrying out of the appeal /ad misericordiam/, which
she had decided to make as soon as the game was over. However, chance
put an opportunity in her way, for Edward Cossey, who had a curious
weakness for flowers, asked her if she would show him her
chrysanthemums, of which she was very proud. She consented readily
enough. They crossed the lawn, and passing through some shrubbery
reached the greenhouse, which was placed at the end of the Castle
itself. Here for some minutes they looked at the flowers, just now
bursting into bloom. Ida, who felt exceedingly nervous, was all the