These speeches and congratulations all occurred during the period of Mr Armstrong’s visit, and Fanny heard nothing more about her lover, till the third morning after that gentleman’s departure; the earl announced then, on entering the breakfast-room, that he had that morning received a communication from Lord Ballindine, and that his lordship intended reaching Grey Abbey that day in time for dinner.

Fanny felt herself blush, but she said nothing; Lady Selina regretted that he had had a very wet day yesterday, and hoped he would have a fine day to-day; and Lady Cashel was overcome at the reflection that she had no one to meet him at dinner, and that she had not yet suited herself with a cook.

“Dear me,” exclaimed her ladyship; “I wish we’d got this letter yesterday; no one knows now, beforehand, when people are coming.  I’m sure it usen’t to be so.  I shall be so glad to see Lord Ballindine; you know, Fanny, he was always a great favourite of mine.  Do you think, Selina, the O’Joscelyns would mind coming again without any notice?  I’m sure I don’t know—­I would not for the world treat Lord Ballindine shabbily; but what can I do, my dear?”

“I think, my lady, we may dispense with any ceremony now, with Lord Ballindine,” said the earl.  “He will, I am sure, be delighted to be received merely as one of the family.  You need not mind asking the O’Joscelyns to-day.”

“Do you think not?  Well, that’s a great comfort:  besides, Lord Ballindine never was particular.  But still, Fanny, had I known he was coming so soon, I would have had Murray down from Dublin again at once, for Mrs Richards is not a good cook.”

During the remainder of the morning, Fanny was certainly very happy; but she was very uneasy.  She hardly knew how to meet Lord Ballindine.  She felt that she had treated him badly, though she had never ceased to love him dearly; and she also thought she owed him much for his constancy.  It was so good of him to send his friend to her—­and one to whom her uncle could not refuse admission; and then she thought she had treated Mr Armstrong haughtily and unkindly.  She had never thanked him for all the trouble he had taken; she had never told him how very happy he had made her; but she would do so at some future time, when he should be an honoured and a valued guest in her own and her husband’s house.

But how should she receive her lover?  Would they allow her to be alone with him, if only for a moment, at their first meeting?  Oh!  How she longed for a confidante! but she could not make a confidante of her cousin.  Twice she went down to the drawing-room, with the intention of talking of her love; but Lady Selina looked so rigid, and spoke so rigidly, that she could not do it.  She said such common-place things, and spoke of Lord Ballindine exactly as she would of any other visitor who might have been coming to the house.  She did not confine herself to his eating and drinking, as her mother did; but she said, he’d find the house very dull, she was afraid—­especially as the shooting was all over, and the hunting very nearly so; that he would, however, probably be a good deal at the Curragh races.