But it was only for a moment that the fancy of the impressionable Irish girl flew back to, and rested mournfully on, those farewell scenes still fresh in the memory of the young. The present was neither the occasion, nor was she in the mood, to be sorrowful. Although there was no delightfully agreeable gentleman to look his admiration, and to elevate her by his ever-welcome sympathy to what that foolish Honor had begun to think her rightful place in the social scale, yet life, and especially life at Danescourt that day, contained for her a good deal that was pleasant and enjoyable. And then, if the thought did cross her mind that it would be very nice for Mr. Vavasour to be there, there came with that thought the recollection that, even supposing him to be among the goodly company assembled more as lookers-on than as participators in the sports provided, would it be likely that with Miss Duberly in the grounds, ready to claim her lover’s undivided attention, _he_ should have either leisure or inclination to waste time upon his humbler friend? The answer given by common sense to this query, though humbling, was very good for Honor, inducing her to rest satisfied with the companionship of her friends the Clays--the kind, hospitable, unsophisticated Clays--who were always in the seventh heaven of delight at seeing her; albeit the necessary farm business, and the four miles between the two houses, rendered the meetings with “darling Honor” not so frequent as they were desirable. John Beacham was always glad to welcome the Clays; and even in that noisy crowd (Lady Guernsey’s _humble_ quests were feeling much more at home since the inner man had been refreshed by creature comforts)--even in that noisy crowd, he was quite satisfied of his little wife’s safety and enjoyment, when his neighbour’s well-brought-up children--including “big Affy,” the eldest born, a steady lad of fifteen, who was already beginning to be a great help on the farm--were surrounding his merry, happy-looking wife, while she, “God bless her!” John sometimes said with a half-sigh, looked “a precious deal too young for him, the darling! playing there with the young ones, like the child she almost was.”