"Take her a footstool, and ask her how she is, Ned." Then, as if
necessary to account for his politeness to his uncle, he explained how
he was the cause of the accident.

"Yes, yes. I understand. Rather a nice little person, I fancy. Not
exactly a beauty, but accomplished and well-bred, which is better for
one of her class."

"Some tea, Sir John?" said a soft voice at his elbow, and there was Miss
Muir, offering cups to the gentlemen.

"Thank you, thank you," said Sir John, sincerely hoping she had
overheard him.

As Coventry took his, he said graciously, "You are very forgiving, Miss
Muir, to wait upon me, after I have caused you so much pain."

"It is my duty, sir" was her reply, in a tone which plainly said, "but
not my pleasure." And she returned to her place, to smile, and chat, and
be charming, with Bella and her brother.

Lucia, hovering near her uncle and Gerald, kept them to herself, but
was disturbed to find that their eyes often wandered to the cheerful
group about the table, and that their attention seemed distracted by
the frequent bursts of laughter and fragments of animated conversation
which reached them. In the midst of an account of a tragic affair which
she endeavored to make as interesting and pathetic as possible, Sir
John burst into a hearty laugh, which betrayed that he had been
listening to a livelier story than her own. Much annoyed, she said
hastily, "I knew it would be so! Bella has no idea of the proper manner