It was the first time she had taken her place at the dinner-table since Arthur's illness, and she felt glad to be there. She sat, with sweet, calm brow, and lustrous, smiling eyes, a picture such as it does any man good to gaze at from his table's foot, and know that it is his own wife, the mistress of his household, the directress of his family, in whom her husband's heart may safely trust forever. Dr. Grey seemed to feel it, though he said no more than that "it was good to have her back again." But his satisfaction did not extend itself to the rest. Miss Gascoigne was evidently greatly displeased at something. Angry were the looks she cast around, and grim was the silence she maintained until Barker had disappeared. "Now." said Christian, "shall we send for the children?" "No," said Miss Gascoigne; "at least not until I have said a word which I should be sorry to say before young people. Dr. Grey, I wish that you, who have some knowledge of the usages of society, would instruct your wife in them a little more. I do not expect much from her, but still, now that she is your wife, some knowledge of manners, or even common civility--" "What have I done?" exclaimed Christian, half alarmed and half amused. Miss Gascoigne took no notice, but continued addressing Dr. Grey: "I ask you, as a gentleman, when other gentlemen come to this house to pay their respects to me--that is, to the ladies generally, ought Mrs. Grey to take the earliest opportunity of escaping from the drawing-room, nor return to it the whole time the visitors stay? No doubt she is unused to society, feels a little awkward in it, but still--" "I understand now," interrupted Christian. "Yes, I did this afternoon exactly as she says. I am fully aware of the fact." "And, pray, who was the gentleman to whom you were so very rude?" asked Dr. Grey, smiling. Christian replied without any hesitation--and oh! how thankful that she was able to do so-- "It was Sir Edwin Uniacke." But she was not prepared for the start and flash of sudden anger with which her husband heard the name. "What! has he called at my house? That is more effrontery than I gave him credit for." "Effrontery!" repeated Miss Gascoigne, indignantly. "It is no effrontery in a gentleman of his rank and fortune, a visitor at Avonsbridge, to pay a call at Saint Bede's Lodge. Besides, I gave him permission to do so. He was exceedingly civil to me last night, and I must say he is one of the pleasantest young men I have met for a long time. What do you know against him?" "What do I know?" echoed the master, and stopped. Then added, "Of course you might not have heard; the dean and I keep these things private as much as we can; but he was 'rusticated' a year and a half ago." Miss Gascoigne might have known this fact or not; anyhow, she was determined not to yield her point.