"Bless me! Mr. Avenel--a few words!" cried the widow, "but that's just what they are all afraid of! You must pardon me, but you really can't ask people to a _déjeûné dansant_, and then--scold 'em." "I'm not going to scold them," said Mr. Avenel, very seriously--"upon my honor, I'm not! I'm going to make all right, and I even hope afterward that the dancing may go on--and that you will honor me again with your hand. I leave you to your task; and, believe me, I'm not an ungrateful man." He spoke, and bowed--not without some dignity--and vanished within the breakfast division of the marquee. There he busied himself in re-collecting the waiters, and directing them to re-arrange the mangled remains of the table as they best could. Mrs. M'Catchley, whose curiosity and interest were aroused, executed her commission with all the ability and tact of a woman of the world, and in less than a quarter of an hour the marquee was filled--the corks flew--the champagne bounced and sparkled--people drank in silence, munched fruits and cakes, kept up their courage with the conscious sense of numbers, and felt a great desire to knew what was coming. Mr. Avenel, at the head of the table, suddenly rose-- "Ladies and Gentlemen," said he, "I have taken the liberty to invite you once more into this tent, in order to ask you to sympathize with me, upon an occasion which took us all a little by surprise to-day. "Of course, you all know I am a new man--the maker of my own fortunes." A great many heads bowed involuntarily. The words were said manfully, and there was a general feeling of respect. "Probably, too," resumed Mr. Avenel, "you may know that I am the son of very honest tradespeople. I say honest, and they are not ashamed of me--I say tradespeople, and I'm not ashamed of them. My sister married and settled at a distance. I took her son to educate and bring up. But I did not tell her where he was, nor even that I had returned from America--I wished to choose my own time for that, when I could give her the surprise, not only of a rich brother, but of a son whom I intended to make a gentleman, so far as manners and education can make one. Well, the poor dear woman has found me out sooner than I expected, and turned the tables on me by giving me a surprise of her own invention. Pray, forgive the confusion this little family scene has created; and though I own it was very laughable at the moment, and I was wrong to say otherwise, yet I am sure I don't judge ill of your good hearts when I ask you to think what brother and sister must feel who parted from each other when they were boy and girl. To me (and Richard gave a great gulp--for he felt that a great gulp alone could swallow the abominable lie he was about to utter)--to me this has been _a very happy occasion_! I'm a plain man; no one can take ill what I've said. And, wishing that you may be all as happy in your family as I am in mine--humble though it be--I beg to drink your very good healths!"