Upon this footing her affairs now stood; she was to be one of the family, with two hundred pounds a year to her credit, the run of her teeth in the house, and (by a secret arrangement) as often in her father's company as she could find time to be. Meantime, by her own deliberate choice, she maintained her lodging in Pimlico, and read at the Museum most days of the week. She prepared herself to be happy, and under a buoyant impulse, due to the softening of her affections, wrote to her friend Mr. Chevenix, and asked him to come to see her. That he briskly did. She received him cordially. It was good to see the cheerful youth again, and to be able to rejoice in the man of the world he affected to be. A man of the world--throned, at it were, upon the brows of a suckling. Wisdom was justified of her child. “So you cut it? Thought you would. Wanless Hall is all very well in its little way--when the rainbows are jumping, what? D'you remember that fish? And old Devereux--_Salmo deverox_? My certy, what a lady! But Nevile--” he shook his head. “No, no. Some devil had entered into him: he was a gloomy kind of tyrant. I don't know, by the way, what's happened to him. Travelling, or something, I fancy. He was always a rolling stone, as you know. But he'll come round, you'll see. Oh, Lord, yes. He'll sulk out his devil--and be the first to apologise. Well--never mind old Nevile. You'll see, one of these days. Now, I say, what are you doing with yourself up here? Any good?” She named her Italian studies, and made him open his eyes. “Italian? _Tante grazie_, and all that! But that don't take you very far, you know. Your teeth will crack a tougher nut. Now, I'll tell you what you do. You come and see my old Aunt Wenman--” She was highly amused. “Why should I see your old Aunt Wenman? Does she know Italian?” “Italian! God bless you, if she knows English, it's as much as she does. Learnt the Catechism once, I s'pose. She's a good old sort--Lady Maria Wenman, widow of my old Uncle Charles, and my mother's sister at that. She'll take to you--she'll take to you.” “I don't see--” said Sanchia, puzzled. The youth explained.