"I was just coming back to the river, Sophia," Mrs. Granger said, not without some faint indications of embarrassment. "I'm afraid Mr.--I'm afraid Daniel must have been looking for me." "Papa _has_ been looking for you," Miss Granger replied, with unrelenting stiffness.--"How do you do, Mr. Fairfax?" shaking hands with him in a frigid manner.--"He quite lost the last race. When I saw that he was growing really anxious, I suggested that he should go one way, and I the other, in search of you. That is what brought me here." It was as much as to say, Pray understand that I have no personal interest in your movements. "And yet I have not been so very long away," Clarissa said, with a deprecating smile. "You may not have been conscious of the lapse of time You have been long. You said you would go and rest for a quarter of an hour or so; and you have been resting more than an hour." "I don't remember saying that; but you are always so correct, Sophia." "I make a point of being exact in small things. We had better go round the garden to look for papa.--Good-afternoon, Mr. Fairfax." "Good-afternoon, Miss Granger." George Fairfax shook hands with Clarissa. "Good-bye, Mrs. Granger." That was all, but the words were accompanied by a look and a pressure of the hand that brought the warm blood into Clarissa's cheeks. She had made for herself that worst enemy a woman can have--a disappointed lover. While they were shaking hands, Mr. Granger came in sight at the other end of the walk; so it was only natural that Mr. Fairfax, who had been tolerably intimate with him at Hale Castle, should advance to meet him. There were the usual salutations between the two men, exchanged with that stereotyped air of heartiness which seems common to Englishmen. "I think we had better get home by the next train, Clarissa," said Mr. Granger; "5.50. I told them to have the brougham ready for us at Paddington from half-past six." "I am quite ready to go," Clarissa said. "Your headache is better, I hope." "Yes; I had almost forgotten it." Miss Granger gave an audible sniff, which did not escape George Fairfax. "What! suspicious already?" he said to himself. "You may as well come and dine with us, Mr. Fairfax, if you have nothing better to do," said Mr. Granger, with his lofty air, as much as to say, "I suppose I ought to be civil to this young man." "It is quite impossible that I could have anything better to do," replied Mr. Fairfax. "In that case, if you will kindly give your arm to my daughter, we'll move off at once. I have wished Mr. Wooster good-afternoon on your part, Clary. I suppose we may as well walk to the station." "If you please."