Then a thought struck him, and he hurried back to the drawing-room, to surprise Marjorie upon her knees, with her face buried in Mrs Rolph's lap. "Oh, beg pardon," he said, hastily; "but look here, mother; don't be quite so hard on Ben Hayle. I mean as to a day or two." "Leave that to me, Rob--please," said Mrs Rolph. "Oh, all right," he cried, and he went right off this time. "Poor little Madge! but she won't be long before she hooks another fish. Bet a sov. she tries it on with the astronomer; but I must go and smooth it down a bit at the lodge. What a blessing it is to have nearly enough coin. That bracelet did wonders; but Judy mustn't play quite so high, and, as for Ben--well he's my mother's man, and--I know; I'll let him keep that old gun." Volume 1, Chapter IX. ATTRACTION AND REPULSION. Rolph dined at Brackley that evening, and found Sir John in the best of spirits. Glynne was bright and eager to show him the progress she had made with her painting, at the sight of which he started as they stood together in the drawing-room. "But I say, Glynne, you know, this is doosid clever and ought to go to the Academy; only, hang it all! you mustn't get painting fellows like that." "Why not?" "Because--because--well, you see the fellow's a regular scamp--dangerous sort of a character, you know--been in prison for poaching, and that sort of thing." "But he's such a patient model." "Model, eh? Not my idea of a model. Look here, if you want some one to sit, you shall have me." The conversation changed to the visit she had received that afternoon; and Glynne in her new excitement was rapturous about "dear Mrs Rolph," but rather lukewarm about her niece, and Rolph noticed it. "Madge nice to you?" he said. "Your cousin? Oh, yes," replied Glynne, thoughtfully. "She seemed rather shy and strange at first, but soon got over that. We have always been a little distant, for I think I was too quiet for her; but of course we shall be like sisters now." "H'm, yes, I suppose so. But Madge is rather a strange girl." The dinner passed off pretty well. Rolph drinking a good deal of the baronet's favourite claret, and every now and then finding the major's eyes fixed upon him in rather a searching way which he did not like; but on the whole, Major Day was pleasant and gentlemanly, and rather given to sigh on seeing how happy and bright his niece looked. When at last she rose during dessert, and Rolph opened the door for her to pass out to the drawing-room, he was obliged to own that they would make a handsome couple, and on seeing his brother's inquiring glance, he nodded back to him, making Sir John look pleased. "I've no right to object if they are satisfied," he said to himself; "but he is not the fellow I should have chosen." All the same, he shook hands warmly enough when Rolph left that night. "Jack," he said, as he sat with his brother over their last cigar, "I think I may as well get married now."