“How long are you thinking of stopping there, Mr. Penfold?”

“Oh, ten days or a fortnight.  I shall be a day or two in town as I go through, for I want to arrange about Ralph’s commission.  Then, perhaps, I shall persuade Mrs. Conway to come up with Ralph to town with us, and to go about with the young people to see the sights.  Now, if you and Mrs. Withers would join us there, that would complete my happiness.”

The clergyman and his wife both said that this was impossible.  But Mr. Penfold urged his request with so much earnestness, that at last they agreed to come up to town and stay with him at a hotel.  And, indeed, when they recovered from the first surprise at the proposal, both of them thought that the trip would be an extremely pleasant one; for in those days it was quite an event in the lives of people residing at a distance from a town to pay a visit to the metropolis.

“Then everything is arranged delightfully,” Mr. Penfold said.  “This will be a holiday indeed for me; and however much you may all enjoy yourselves I shall enjoy myself a great deal more.  Now, I suppose I may tell Mabel of our arrangement?”

“But you don’t know that Mrs. Conway will take her in yet.  Surely you are going to wait to hear from her?”

“Indeed I am not, Mrs. Withers.  I am as impatient as a schoolboy to be off.  And I am perfectly certain that Mrs. Conway will be very glad to receive her.  She knows Mabel, for I have given her an idea of my fancy about that matter; and of course she will be glad to learn something of your girl.”

“But she may not have a spare room,” Mrs. Withers urged feebly.

“It is not likely,” Mr. Penfold said decisively; “and if there should be any difficulty on that score it will be very easily managed, as Ralph can give up his room to Mabel, and come and stay at the hotel with me.”

Mr. Withers laughed.  “I see that it is of no use raising objections, Penfold; you are armed at all points.  I scarcely know you, and have certainly never seen you possessed of such a spirit of determination.”

Mr. Penfold smiled.  “It would have been better for me, perhaps, if I had always been so determined, Withers.  At any rate I mean to have my own way in this matter.  I have not had a real holiday for years.”

So Mr. Penfold had his own way, and carried off Mabel wild with delight and excitement upon the day after he had received Mrs. Conway’s letter.  There was no shade of embarrassment in the meeting between Mrs. Conway and the man who had once been her lover.  It was like two old and dear friends who had long been separated and now come together again.  Mr. Penfold’s first words after introducing Mabel had reference to Ralph.

“Your boy has grown quite a man, Mary, in the last six months.  I scarcely recognized the bronzed young fellow who met vis at the coach office as the lad who was down with me in the summer.  Don’t you see the change, Mabel?”