it is a week to that happy day.'

'By the way!' said Mr. Gibson, availing himself of the good opening
thus presented, 'I met my lord at the Cross-trees Farm yesterday, and
he was kind enough to ask my little daughter, who was with me, to be
one of the party here on Thursday; it would give the lassie great
pleasure, I believe.' He paused for Lady Cumnor to speak.

'Oh, well! if my lord asked her, I suppose she must come, but I wish he
was not so amazingly hospitable! Not but what the little girl will be
quite welcome; only, you see, he met a younger Miss Browning the other
day, of whose existence I had never heard.'

'She visits at the school, mamma,' said Lady Agnes.

'Well, perhaps she does; I never said she did not. I knew there was one
visitor of the name of Browning; I never knew there were two, but, of
course, as soon as Lord Cumnor heard there was another, he must needs
ask her; so the carriage will have to go backwards and forwards four
times now to fetch them all. So your daughter can come quite easily,
Mr. Gibson, and I shall be very glad to see her for your sake. She can
sit bodkin with the Brownings, I suppose? You'll arrange it all with
them; and mind you get Nanny well up to her work next week.'

Just as Mr. Gibson was going away, Lady Cumnor called after him, 'Oh!
by-the-bye, Clare is here; you remember Clare, don't you? She was a
patient of yours, long ago.'

'Clare!' he repeated, in a bewildered tone.