"Well, Jekyl Marlowe, you see you have brought me here at last," said the old lady, extending her hand stiffly, like a wooden marionette, her thin elbow making a right angle. "So I have; and I shall always think the better of my eloquence for having prevailed. You're a thousand times welcome, and not tired, I hope; the journey is not much after all." "Thanks; no, the distance is not much, the fatigue nothing," said Lady Alice, drawing her fingers horizontally back from his hospitable pressure. "But it is not always distance that separates people, or fatigue that depresses one." "No, of course; fifty things; rheumatism, temper, hatred, affliction: and I am so delighted to see you! Trixie, dear, would not grandmamma like to see her room? Send for--" "Thank you, I mean to stay here," said Lady Alice. "_Here!_" echoed Sir Jekyl, with a rather bewildered smile. "I avail myself of the privilege you give me; your postscript to Beatrix's note, you know. You tell me there to choose what rooms I like best," said the old lady, drily, at the same time drawing her bag toward her, that she might be ready to put the documents in evidence, in case he should dispute it. "Oh! did I?" said the Baronet, with the same faint smile. Lady Alice nodded, and then threw back her head, challenging contradiction by a supercilious stare, her hand firmly upon the bag as before. "But this room, you know; it's anything but a comfortable one--don't you think?" said Sir Jekyl. "I like it," said the inflexible old lady, sitting down. "And I'm afraid there's a little difficulty," he continued, not minding. "For this is General Lennox's dressing-room. Don't you think it might be awkward?" and he chuckled agreeably. "General Lennox is absent in London, on business," said Lady Alice, grim as an old Diana; "and Jane does not use it, and there _can_ be no _intelligible_ objection to my having it in his absence." There was a little smile, that yet was not a smile, and a slight play about Sir Jekyl's nostrils, as he listened to this speech. They came when he was vicious; but with a flush, he commanded himself, and only laughed slightly, and said-- "It is really hardly a concern of mine, provided my guests are happy. You don't mean to have your bed into this room, do you?" "I mean to sleep _there_," she replied drily, stabbing with her long forefinger toward the door on the opposite side of the room. "Well, I can only say I'd have fancied, for other reasons, these the very last rooms in the house you would have chosen--particularly as this really belongs to the green chamber. However, you and Lady Jane can arrange that between you. You'd have been very comfortable where we would have put you, and you'll be very _un_comfortable here, I'm afraid; but perhaps I'm not making allowance for the affection you have for Lady Jane, the length of time that has passed since you've seen her, and the pleasure of being so near her."