When the gentlemen came upstairs, Chatty endeavoured to be looking very naturally the other way; not to look as if she expected him; but Dick found his way to her immediately. "I can't think how I missed you before. I should have tried hard for the pleasure of taking you down, had I known you were here," he said, with that look of interest which was the natural expression in his eyes when he addressed a woman. "When did you come to town, and where are you? I do not know anything that has been going on, I have heard nothing of you all for so long. There must be quite a budget of news." Chatty faltered a little, feeling that Mr. Cavendish had never been so intimate in the family as these questions seemed to imply. "The Wilberforces were quite well when we left," she said, with the honesty of her nature, for to be sure it was the Wilberforces rather than the Warrenders who were his friends. "Oh, never mind the Wilberforces," he said, "tell me something about you." "There is something to tell about us, for a wonder," said Chatty. "My sister Minnie is married: but perhaps you would hear of that." "I think I saw it in the papers, and was very glad----" here he stopped and did not finish his sentence. A more experienced person than Chatty would have perceived that he meant to express his satisfaction that it was not she: but Chatty had no such insight. "Yes, he has a curacy quite close, for the time: and he will have an excellent living, and it is a very nice marriage. We came to town for a little change, mamma and I." "That is delightful news. And Theo? I have not heard from Theo for ages. Is he left behind by himself?" "Oh! Theo is very well. Theo is---- Oh, I did not mean to say anything about that." Chatty did not know why she was so completely off her guard with Dick Cavendish. She had almost told him everything before she was aware. "Not in any trouble, I hope. Don't let me put indiscreet questions." "It is not that. There is nothing indiscreet, only I forgot that we had not meant to say anything." "I am so very sorry," cried Cavendish. "You must not think I would ask anything you don't wish to tell me." "But I should like to tell you," said Chatty, "only I don't know what mamma will say. I will tell her it came out before I knew: and you must not say anything about it, Mr. Cavendish." "Not a syllable, not even to your mother. It shall be something between you and me." The way in which this was said made Chatty's eyes droop for a moment: but what a pleasure it was to tell him! She could not understand herself. She was not given to chatter about what happened in the family, and Dick was not so intimate with Theo that he had a right to know; but still it was delightful to tell him. "We don't know whether to be glad or sorry," she said. "It is that perhaps Theo, after a while, is going to marry."