"Poor Julia!" I retorted. "Only recollect her situation, and pray, if you ever wish me to admire or like you do not be so very unfeeling." "Yes, I have heard all, and a pretty piece of business it is altogether," said Mildmay, evidently much annoyed by it. I refused to part with him till he had most faithfully promised punctually at two the next morning. As soon as he was gone I despatched the following note; "DEAR JULIA,--"Sir H. Mildmay has this morning given me his word and honour, on pain of my everlasting displeasure, that he will attend your moderate commands to-morrow exactly at two o'clock, on condition that you do not give him a scene. Make my excuses to him for not joining you both. I dislike to be second fiddle of all things. "God bless you." CHAPTER XI The next day, the one fixed on by Colonel Berkeley for our trip to Richmond, Sophia and the Colonel called for me at twelve o'clock, accompanied by that young savage, Augustus Berkeley, who appeared to be perfectly well-behaved in the presence of his brother, quite mild and humbled. Sophia said it was a charming day. "The atmosphere," I observed, "is heavy, I think, and unhealthy." "Oh, quite shocking," Sophia immediately replied, "I am absolutely ill with it already." We drove down to Richmond as fast as four high bred horses could carry us, and Colonel Berkeley, having ordered a dinner as much too ostentatiously extravagant as Deerhurst's rural fête had been too scanty, proposed our rowing down the river for half an hour, while it was getting ready. Augustus, at the word of command, took off his coat and waistcoat and began rowing, while Berkeley was all attention to us. "How delicious this is," said the Colonel. "I never saw anything so beautiful," echoed Sophia. I remarked that I was a little giddy. "So am I," said Sophia, "very giddy indeed." In less than an hour, I mentioned that the air of the river had given me an appetite, and Sophia, of course, had never been so hungry in all her life!