During all this time Miss Burton said little or nothing, and Harry
Clavering himself did not say much. He could not express any intention
of rivalling Mr. Scarness's economy in the article of butcher's meat,
nor could he promise to content himself with Granger's solitary bedroom.
But as he rode home he almost began to fear that he had made a mistake.
He was not wedded to the joys of his college hall, or the college common
room. He did not like the narrowness of college life. But he doubted
whether the change from that to the oft-repeated hospitalities of Mrs.
Burton might not be too much for hire. Scarness's four shillings'-worth
of butcher's meat had already made him half sick of his new profession,
and though Stratton might be the "reasonablest place anywhere for a
young man," he could not look forward to living there for a year with
much delight. As for Miss Burton, it might be quite as well that she was
plain, as he wished for none of the delights which beauty affords to
young men.

On his return home, however, he made no complaint of Stratton. He was
too strong-willed to own that he had been in any way wrong, and when
early in the following week he started for St. Cuthbert's, he was able
to speak with cheerful hope of his new prospects. If ultimately he
should find life in Stratton to be unendurable, he would cut that part
of his career short, and contrive to get up to London at an earlier time
than he had intended.

On the 31st of August Lord Ongar and Sir Hugh Clavering reached
Clavering Park, and, as has been already told, a pretty little note was
at once sent up to Miss Brabazon in her bedroom. When she met Lord Ongar
in the drawing-room, about an hour afterwards, she had instructed
herself that it would be best to say nothing of the note; but she could