At luncheon, however, when Lord Keith appeared, nothing could be

prettier than his wife's manner to him--bright, sweet, and with a touch

of graceful deference, at which he always smiled and showed himself

pleased, but Rachel thought him looking much older than in the

autumn--he had little appetite, stooped a good deal, and evidently moved

with pain. He would not go out of doors, and Bessie, after following him

to the library, and spending a quarter of an hour in ministering to his

comfort, took Rachel to sit by a cool dancing fountain in the garden,

and began with some solicitude to consult her whether he could be really

suffering from sciatica, or, as she had lately begun to suspect, from

the effects of a blow from the end of a scaffold-pole that had been run

against him when taking her through a crowded street. Rachel spoke of

advice.

"What you, Rachel! you who despised allopathy!"

"I have learnt not to despise advice."

And Bessie would not trench on Rachel's experiences.

"There's some old Scotch doctor to whom his faith is given, and that I

don't half believe in. If he would see our own Mr. Harvey here it would

be quite another thing; but it is of no use telling him that Alick would

never have had an available knee but for Mr. Harvey's management. He

persists in leaving me to my personal trust in him, but for himself he

won't see him at any price! Have you seen Mr. Harvey?"

"I have seen no one."

"Oh, I forgot, you are not arrived yet; but--"

"There's some one," exclaimed Rachel, nervously; and in fact a young man

was sauntering towards them. Bessie rose with a sort of annoyance, and

"Never mind, my dear, he is quite inoffensive, we'll soon get rid of

him." Then, as he greeted her with "Good morning, Lady Keith, I thought

I should find you here," she quickly replied.

"If you had been proper behaved and gone to the door, you would have

known that I am not at home."

He smiled, and came nearer.

"No, I am not at home, and, what is more, I do not mean to be. My uncle

will be here directly," she added, in a fee-faw-fum tone.

"Then it is not true that your brother and his bride are arrived?"

"True in the same sense as that I am at home. There she is, you

see--only you are not to see her on any account," as a bow necessarily

passed between him and Rachel. "Now mind you have not been introduced to

Mrs. Keith, and if you utter a breath that will bring the profane crowd

in shoals upon the Rectory, I shall never forgive you."

"Then I am afraid we must not hope to see you at the bazaar for the

idiots."




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