Mrs. Norton flung her black shawl over her shoulders, rattled her keys, and scolded the servants at the end of the long passage. Kitty, as she watered the flowers in the greenhouse, often wondered why John had chosen to become a priest and grieve his mother. One morning, as she stood watching the springtide, she saw him walking up the drive: the sky was bright with summer hours, and the beds were catching flower beneath the evergreen oaks. She ran to Mrs. Norton, who was attending to the canaries in the bow-window. 'Look, look, Mrs. Norton, John is coming up the drive; it is he-- look!' 'John!' said Mrs. Norton, seeking for her glasses nervously; 'yes, so it is; let's run and meet him. But no; let's take him rather coolly. I believe half his eccentricity is only put on because he wishes to astonish us. We won't ask him any questions--we'll just wait and let him tell his own story---' 'How do you do, mother?' said the young man, kissing Mrs. Norton with less reluctance than usual. 'You must forgive me for not having answered your letters. It really was not my fault.... And how do you do, Kitty? Have you been keeping my mother company ever since? It is very good of you; I am afraid you must think me a very undutiful son. But what is the news?' 'One of the rooks is gone.' 'Is that all? ... What about the ball at Steyning? I hear it was a great success.' 'Oh, it was delightful.' 'You must tell me about it after dinner. Now I must go round to the stables and tell Walls to fetch my things from the station.' 'Are you going to be here for some time?' said Mrs. Norton with an indifferent air. 'Yes, I think so; that is to say, for a couple of months--six weeks. I have some arrangements to make; but I will speak to you about all that after dinner.' With these words John left the room, and he left his mother agitated and frightened. 'What can he mean by having arrangements to make?' she asked. Kitty could of course suggest no explanation, and the women waited the pleasure of the young man to speak his mind. He seemed, however, in no hurry to do so; and the manner in which he avoided the subject aggravated his mother's uneasiness. At last she said, unable to bear the suspense any longer-- 'Have you had a quarrel with the Jesuits?'