So we have her here with Essie to look after her for as long as Sir
Edward Fane wants to keep her under him, and you can't think what a
nice little mortal she turns out to be now she is rescued from nurse
and those little ruffians of brothers."
"That's first-rate," remarked Cecil.
"The eucharis and maiden-hair, is it not? I must keep some sprays
for our hairs to-night."
"Is any one coming to-night?"
"The promiscuous herd. Oh, didn't you know? Our Johns told mother
it would be no end of kindness to let them bring in a sprinkling of
their fellow-students-—poor lads that live poked up in lodgings, and
never see a lady or any civilisation all through the term. So she
took to having them on Thursday once a fortnight, and Dr. Medlicott
was perfectly delighted, and said she could not do a better work; and
it is such fun! We don't have them unmitigated, we get other people
to enliven them. The Actons are coming, and I hope Mr. Esdale is
coming to-night to show us his photographs of the lost cities in
Central America. You'll stay, won't you?"
"If Mrs. Brownlow will let me. I hope your toasting-fork woman has
not spirited her away?"
"Under the eyes of your horse and man."
"Are you all at home? And has Allen finished his novel?"
Babie laughed, and said—-
"Poor Ali! You see there comes a fresh blight whenever it begins to
bud.
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