“I was very much alarmed, my dear John, about your not sleeping.  Mr Hare told me you said that you went two and three nights without closing your eyes, and that you had to have recourse to sleeping draughts.”

“Not at all, mother, I never took a sleeping draught but twice in my life.”

“Well, you don’t sleep well, and I am sure it is those college beds.  But you will be far more comfortable here.  You are in the best bedroom in the house, the one in front of the staircase, the bridal chamber; and I have selected the largest and softest feather-bed in the house.”

“My dear mother, if there is one thing more than another I dislike, it is a feather-bed.  I should not be able to close my eyes; I beg of you to have it taken away.”

Mrs Norton’s face flushed.  “I cannot understand, John; it is absurd to say that you cannot sleep on a feather-bed.  Mr Hare told me you complained of insomnia, and there is no surer way of losing your health.  It is owing to the hardness of those college mattresses, whereas in a feather-bed—­”

“There is no use in our arguing that point, mother, I say I cannot sleep on a feather-bed....”

“But you have not tried one; I don’t believe you ever slept on a feather-bed in your life.”

“Well, I am not going to begin now.”

“We haven’t another bed aired in the house, and it is really too late to ask the servants to change your room.”

“Well, then, I shall be obliged to sleep at the hotel in Henfield.”

“You should not speak to your mother in that way; I will not have it.”

“There! you see we are quarrelling already; I did wrong to come home.”

“I am speaking to you for your own good, my dear John, and I think it is very stubborn of you to refuse to sleep on a feather-bed; if you don’t like it, you can change it to-morrow.”

The conversation fell, and in silence the speakers strove to master their irritation.  Then John, for politeness’ sake, spoke of when he had last seen Kitty.  It was about five years ago.  She had ridden her pony over to see them.

Mrs Norton talked of some people who had left the county, of a marriage, of an engagement, of a mooted engagement; and she jerked in a suggestion that if John were to apply at once, he would be placed on the list of deputy-lieutenants.  Enumeration of the family influence—­Lord So-and-so, the cousin, was the Lord Lieutenant’s most intimate friend.

“You are not even a J.P., but there will be no difficulty about that; and you have not seen any of the county people for years.  We will have the carriage out some day this week, and we’ll pay a round of visits.”