'Gerard Godfrey--an old neighbour.' 'I thought I had seen him racketing about there with Ursula. I'll not have those umbrella fellows coming about!' 'Does he really make umbrellas, Nuttie?' asked Blanche, catching her hand. 'No such thing!' said Nuttie hotly, 'he is in the office. His father was a surgeon; his sisters married clergymen!' 'And he came here to meet you,' said Annaple Ruthven. 'Poor fellow, what a shame it is! Can't you give him one turn! 'Oh dear! I'm engaged all through! To Mark this time.' 'Give him one of the extras! Throw Mark over to me! No,' as she looked at the faces of the two girls, 'I suppose that wouldn't do, but I'm free this time--I'm not the fashion. Introduce me; I'll do my best as consolation.' Nuttie had just performed the feat, with great shyness, when Mark appeared, having been sent in quest of his cousin, when her father perceived that she had hung back. Poor Gerard led off Miss Ruthven the more gloomily, and could not help sighing out, 'I suppose that is an engagement!' 'Oh! you believe that impertinent gossip in the paper,' returned Annaple. 'I wonder they don't contradict it; but perhaps they treat it with magnificent scorn.' 'No doubt they know that it is only premature.' 'If _they_ means the elders, I daresay they wish it, but we aren't in France or Italy.' 'Then you don't think, Miss Ruthven, that it will come off?' 'I don't see the slightest present prospect,' said Annaple, unable to resist the kindly impulse of giving immediate pleasure, though she knew the prospect might be even slighter for her partner. However, he 'footed it' all the more lightly and joyously for the assurance, and the good-natured maiden afterwards made him conduct her to the tea-room, whither Mark and Nuttie were also tending, and there all four contrived to get mixed up together; and Nuttie had time to hear of Monsieur's new accomplishment of going home for Mr. Dutton's luncheon and bringing it in a basket to the office, before fate again descended; Mr. Egremont, who had been at the far end of the room among some congeners, who preferred stronger refreshment, suddenly heard her laugh, stepped up, and, with a look of thunder towards her, observed in a low voice, 'Mark, you will oblige me by taking your cousin back to her mother.' 'The gray tyrant father,' murmured Annaple in sympathy. 'That being the case, I may as well go back in that direction also.' This resulted in finding Lady Delmar and the two Mrs. Egremonts together, comparing notes about the two different roads to Redcastle from their several homes. Lady Delmar was declaring that her coachman was the most obstinate man in existence, and that her husband believed in him to any extent. 'Which way did you come?' she asked. 'By Bankside Lane,' said the Canoness. 'Over Bluepost Bridge! There, Janet,' said Annaple.