“Any other day, almost,” urged her nephew, “I could have arranged for the day off, but I’ve got important work to do that’ll take me up to nine o’clock.” “Whenever I find a bit of a lad giving up a honest living, I always say to Mrs. Turley, I say, ‘Dang it all, this won’t do!’ And when it ’appened to my brother’s own boy I turned round at once, I did, and I said, ‘I don’t know what to—’” “If Louisa had been quite herself, why, of course, she—” “I’ll get back to Lonnon Bridge,” said Aunt Emma grimly. “Reckon I shall be some’ing like Mrs. Turley’s eldest. He come up one November, he did—first time he’d been to Lonnon—and it were a bit foggy, so he kep’ in the station all day; when he come home, he says, ‘Mother,’ he says, ‘it’s a fine big place, Lonnon is, but it dedn’t quite come up to my expectations.’” The parchment-faced old lady was pleased by Erb’s reception of this anecdote, and, gratified also to get a smile from other passengers, she relaxed in manner; Erb saw the opportunity. “Tell you what we’ve arranged, Aunt Emma. Louisa and me talked it over as soon’s ever we made out your letter—” “I don’t perfess,” remarked the old lady, “to be first-class in me spellin’. ’Sides, I got someone else to write it.” “And we decided that we’d get a friend of mine—a friend of ours to look after you for the day.” “What’s he like?” asked the old lady, with reluctant show of interest. “It’s a she!” “Your young woman?” “I don’t go in for anything of that kind,” said Erb, looking round the ’bus apprehensively. “Too busy for such nonsense.” “Never knew the man yet,” said Aunt Emma, “that couldn’t make time to get fond of somebody.” Arrived at the office at Grange Road, Erb was showing the aunt some of his newspaper notices, when he heard on the stairs the swish of skirts. He lost the remaining half of his remark. “And you’ve been fairly walking out, then, as you may say, with our Lady Frances?” “You can’t call it that, Aunt. I’ve only just been paying her polite attention.” “I know what you mean,” remarked the old lady acutely. “Her grandmother—I’m speaking now of forty year ago, mind you—her grandmother ran off with a—let me see! Forget me own name next.” Erb answered the quiet tap at the open door. “Good girl!” he cried cheerfully. “Welcome to our baronial hall! Aunt Emma, this is the young lady that’s going to pilot you round. Almost makes you seem,” he said to Rosalind, “like one of the family.” “I only had to put off three pupils,” said Rosalind quickly. “How do you do?” “I’m going downstairs to fetch coffee and scones for you two,” announced Erb. “Try not to come to blows whilst I’m away.” “My sciatica is just beginning to wake up, as you may say,” replied Aunt Emma. “So sorry,” said Rosalind sympathetically. “It must interfere with getting about.” “Thank you,” replied Aunt Emma coldly. “I’m able to set up and take nourishment.”