"What a horrid little man," said Lady Joan, when the curate had left.
"Oh, I don't think he's bad," said the musician, cheerfully.
Their hostess made a huge effort, and preserved her smile.
"It may be because I had to entertain him," she said, knitting busily at her large white shawl.
"Why didn't you leave him alone?" they asked, with the sublime innocence of the selfish.
"Because that was what you did," she replied.
"Oh, but we thought you were getting on so well with him," said Norah.
"Besides," added Digby, "you need not have asked him into the garden."
"Perhaps I needn't," said Lady Joan, and counted her stitches.
"I am so dreadfully worried about something," she said, presently.
"What about?" they asked, feeling that it had somehow been the atmosphere of the whole day.
"The dilapidation of my pig-styes; Jones says two of them will go on for some time, but the others want repairing. Now, is it worth while to have two repaired, or shall I wait until they all fall to pieces, and put up brick ones?"
"That is a question," said Norah, gravely.
"What a fuss ladies make about trifles. If you had a man to manage your affairs--"
"But I haven't," she said quickly, and looked him full in the face; "I thought of getting one, but--it has fallen through."
The musician did not laugh any more, and Norah's big eyes began to shine again. Lady Joan felt she had fully deserved that little bit of revenge. But it was not amusing enough to carry any further, and she was beginning to weary of the protracted love-making of the day, especially now that she was no longer a principal actor in the play. So she folded up her work elaborately, and pinned it in a white silk handkerchief, and put her hand on her mouth to conceal a yawn.
"It has been the longest day I have ever spent. I suppose it is the weather. Would you shut the piano, Mr. Raleigh? You look tired to death, Norah, and I am going to take you to bed. Come along at once, please."
They all rose to their feet, and there was an embarrassing moment. But Lady Joan took another little bit of revenge here, and kept her arm round Norah's waist, and her sharp eyes on both of them.
"You will come to breakfast to-morrow, and bring Sonny with you? Say good-night and come, Norah, I am so sleepy."