The next day Turlington drove to the suburbs, on the chance offinding the Graybrookes at home again. Sir Joseph dislikedLondon, and could not prevail on himself to live any nearer tothe metropolis than Muswell Hill. When Natalie wanted a change,and languished for balls, theaters, flower-shows, and the like,she had a room especially reserved for her in the house of SirJoseph's married sister, Mrs. Sancroft, living in that centraldeep of the fashionable whirlpool known among mortals as BerkeleySquare.

On his way through the streets, Turlington encountered a plainproof that the Graybrookes must have returned. He was passed byLaunce, driving, in company with a gentleman, in a cab. Thegentleman was Launce's brother, and the two were on their way tothe Commissioners of Police to make the necessary arrangementsfor instituting an inquiry into Turlington's early life.

Arrived at the gate of the villa, the information received onlypartially fulfilled the visitor's expectations. The family hadreturned on the previous evening. Sir Joseph and his sister wereat home, but Natalie was away again already. She had driven intotown to lunch with her aunt. Turlington went into the house.

"Have you lost any money?" Those were the first words uttered bySir Joseph when he and Richard met again, after the parting onboard the yacht.

"Not a farthing. I might have lost seriously, if I had not gotback in time to set things straight. Stupidity on the part of mypeople left in charge--nothing more. It's all right now."

Sir Joseph lifted his eyes, with heartfelt devotion, to theceiling. "Thank God, Richard!" he said, in tones of the deepestfeeling. He rang the bell. "Tell Miss Graybrooke Mr. Turlingtonis here." He turned again to Richard. "Lavinia is like me--Lavinia has been so anxious about you. We have both of us passeda sleepless night." Miss Lavinia came in. Sir Joseph hurried tomeet her, and took her affectionately by both hands. "My dear!the best of all good news, Richard has not lost a farthing." MissLavinia lifted _her_ eyes to the ceiling with heartfelt devotion,and said, "Thank God, Richard!"--like the echo of her brother'svoice; a little late, perhaps, for its reputation as an echo, butaccurate to half a note in its perfect repetition of sound.

Turlington asked the question which it had been his one object toput in paying his visit to Muswell Hill.

"Have you spoken to Natalie?"

"This morning," replied Sir Joseph. "An opportunity offereditself after breakfast. I took advantage of it, Richard--youshall hear how."

He settled himself in his chair for one of his interminablestories; he began his opening sentence--and stopped, struck dumbat the first word. There was an unexpected obstacle in the way--his sister was not attending to him; his sister had silenced himat starting. The story touching, this time, on the question ofmarriage, Miss Lavinia had her woman's interest in seeing fulljustice done to the subject. She seized on her brother'snarrative as on property in her own right.

"Joseph should have told you," she began, addressing herself toTurlington, "that our dear girl was unusually depressed inspirits this morning. Quite in the right frame of mind for alittle serious talk about her future life. She ate nothing atbreakfast, poor child, but a morsel of dry toast."

"And marmalade," said Sir Joseph, striking in at the firstopportunity. The story, on this occasion, being Miss Lavinia'sstory, the polite contradictions necessary to its successfulprogress were naturally transferred from the sister to thebrother, and became contradictions on Sir Joseph's side.

"No," said Miss Lavinia, gently, "if you _will_ have it, Joseph--jam."

"I beg your pardon," persisted Sir Joseph; "marmalade."

"What _does_ it matter, brother?"

"Sister! the late great and good Doctor Johnson said accuracyought always to be studied even in the most trifling things."

"You _will_ have your way, Joseph"--(this was the formula--answering to Sir Joseph's "Let us waive the point"--which MissLavinia used, as a means of conciliating her brother, and gettinga fresh start for her story). "Well, we took dear Natalie outbetween us, after breakfast, for a little walk in the grounds. Mybrother opened the subject with infinite delicacy and tact.'Circumstances,' he said, 'into which it was not then necessaryto enter, made it very desirable, young as she was, to begin tothink of her establishment in life.' And then he referred,Richard (so nicely), to your faithful and devoted attachment--"

"Excuse me, Lavinia. I began with Richard's attachment, and thenI got on to her establishment in life."

"Excuse _me_, Joseph. You managed it much more delicately thanyou suppose. You didn't drag Richard in by the head and shouldersin that way."

"Lavinia! I began with Richard."

"Joseph! your memory deceives you."

Turlington's impatience broke through all restraint.

"How did it end?" he asked. "Did you propose to her that weshould be married in the first week of the New Year?"

"Yes!" said Miss Lavinia.

"No!" said Sir Joseph.

The sister looked at the brother with an expression ofaffectionate surprise. The brother looked at the sister with afund of amiable contradiction, expressed in a low bow.

"Do you really mean to deny, Joseph, that you told Natalie we haddecided on the first week in the New Year?"

"I deny the New Year, Lavinia. I said early in January."

"You _will_ have your way, Joseph! We were walking in theshrubbery at the time. I had our dear girl's arm in mine, and Ifelt it tremble. She suddenly stopped. 'Oh,' she said, 'not sosoon!' I said, 'My dear, consider Richard!' She turned to herfather. She said, 'Don't, pray don't press it so soon, papa! Irespect Richard; I like Richard as your true and faithful friend;but I don't love him as I ought to love him if I am to be hiswife.' Imagine her talking in that way! What could she possiblyknow about it? Of course we both laughed--"

"_you_ laughed, Lavinia."

"_you_ laughed, Joseph."

"Get on, for God's sake!" cried Turlington, striking his handpassionately on the table by which he was sitting. "Don't maddenme by contradicting each other! Did she give way or not?"

Miss Lavinia turned to her brother. "Contradicting each other,Joseph!" she exclaimed, lifting her hands in blank amazement.

"Contradicting each other!" repeated Sir Joseph, equallyastonished on his side. "My dear Richard, what can you bethinking of? I contradict my sister! We never disagreed in ourlives."

"I contradict my brother! We have never had a cross word betweenus from the time when we were children."

Turlington internally cursed his own irritable temper.

"I beg your pardon--both of you," he said. "I didn't know what Iwas saying. Make some allowance for me. All my hopes in life arecentered in Natalie; and you have just told me (in her own words,Miss Lavinia) that she doesn't love. You don't mean any harm, Idare say; but you cut me to the heart."

This confession, and the look that accompanied it, touched theready sympathies of the two old people in the right place. Theremainder of the story dropped between them by common consent.They vied with each other in saying the comforting words whichwould allay their dear Richard's anxiety. How little he knew ofyoung girls. How could he be so foolish, poor fellow! as toattach any serious importance to what Natalie had said? As if ayoung creature in her teens knew the state of her own heart!Protestations and entreaties were matters of course, in suchcases. Tears even might be confidently expected from aright-minded girl. It had all ended exactly as Richard would havewished it to end. Sir Joseph had said, "My child! this is amatter of experience; love will come when you are married." AndMiss Lavinia had added, "Dear Natalie, if you remembered yourpoor mother as I remember her, you would know that your father'sexperience is to be relied on." In that way they had put it toher; and she had hung her head and had given--all that maidenmodesty could be expected to give--a silent consent. "Thewedding-day was fixed for the first week in the New Year." ("No,Joseph; not January--the New Year.") "And God bless you, Richard!and may your married life be a long and happy one."

So the average ignorance of human nature, and the average beliefin conventional sentiment, complacently contemplated thesacrifice of one more victim on the all-devouring altar ofMarriage! So Sir Joseph and his sister provided Launcelot Linziewith the one argument which he wanted to convince Natalie:"Choose between making the misery of your life by marrying _him_,and making the happiness of your life by marrying _me._"

"When shall I see her?" asked Turlington, with Miss Lavinia (intears which did _her_ credit) in possession of one of his hands,and Sir Joseph (in tears which did _him_ credit) in possession ofthe other.

"She will be back to dinner, dear Richard. Stay and dine."

"Thank you. I must go into the City first. I will come back anddine."

With that arrangement in prospect, he left them.

An hour later a telegram arrived from Natalie. She had consentedto dine, as well as lunch, in Berkeley Square--sleeping therethat night, and returning the next morning. Her father instantlytelegraphed back by the messenger, insisting on Natalie's returnto Muswell Hill that evening, in time to meet Richard Turlingtonat dinner.

"Quite right. Joseph," said Miss Lavinia, looking over herbrother's shoulder, while he wrote the telegram.

"She is showing a disposition to coquet with Richard," rejoinedSir Joseph, with the air of a man who knew female human nature inits remotest corners. "My telegram, Lavinia, will have itseffect."

Sir Joseph was quite right. His telegram _had_ its effect. It notonly brought his daughter back to dinner--it produced anotherresult which his prophetic faculty had altogether failed toforesee.

The message reached Berkeley Square at five o'clock in theafternoon. Let us follow the message.