"My dear," said Sir Adam, speaking across the table to his wife, "let me introduce you to my old friend Mrs. Bowring, the mother of this young lady whom you have already met," he added, glancing down at Clare's flaxen head. Again Lady Johnstone slightly bent her apoplectic neck, but her expression was not stony, as it had been when she had first looked at Clare. On the contrary, she smiled very pleasantly and naturally, and her frank blue eyes looked at Mrs. Bowring with a friendly interest. Clare thought that she heard a faint sigh of relief escape her mother's lips just then. Sir Adam's heavy steps echoed upon the tile floor, as he marched all round the table again to his seat. The table itself was narrow, and it was easy to talk across it, without raising the voice. Sir Adam sat on one side of his wife, and Brook on the other, last on his side, as Clare was on hers. There was very little conversation at first. Brook did not care to talk across to Clare, and Sir Adam seemed to have said all he meant to say for the present. Lady Johnstone, who seemed to be a cheerful, conversational soul, began to talk to Mrs. Bowring, evidently attracted by her at first sight. "It's a beautiful place when you get here," she said. "Isn't it? The view from my window is heavenly! But to get here! Dear me! I was carried up by two men, you know, and I thought they would have died. I hope they are enjoying their dinner, poor fellows! I'm sure they never carried such a load before!" And she laughed, with a sort of frank, half self-commiserating amusement at her own proportions. "Oh, I fancy they must be used to it," said Mrs. Bowring, reassuringly, for the sake of saying something. "They'll hate the sight of me in a week!" said Lady Johnstone. "I mean to go everywhere, while I'm here--up all the hills, and down all the valleys. I always see everything when I come to a new place. It's pleasant to sit still afterwards, and feel that you've done it all, don't you know? I shall ruin you in porters, Adam," she added, turning her large round face slowly to her husband. "Certainly, certainly," answered Sir Adam, nodding gravely, as he dissected the bones out of a fried sardine. "You're awfully good about it," said Lady Johnstone, in thanks for unlimited porters to come. Like many unusually stout people, she ate very little, and had plenty of time for talking. "You knew my husband a long time ago, then!" she began, again looking across at Mrs. Bowring. Sir Adam glanced at Mrs. Bowring sharply from beneath his shaggy brows. "Oh yes," she said calmly. "We met before he was married." The grey-headed man slowly nodded assent, but said nothing. "Before his first marriage?" inquired Lady Johnstone gravely. "You know that he has been married twice." "Yes," answered Mrs. Bowring. "Before his first marriage." Again Sir Adam nodded solemnly. "How interesting!" exclaimed Lady Johnstone. "Such old friends! And to meet in this accidental way, in this queer place!"