Chapter 5 - Page 2

had been rather out of humor for some time, having
never quite recovered from her anger at the daring of that cheerful
builder of mills, Mr. John Burmistone. Mr. Burmistone had been one
innovation, and Octavia Bassett was another. She had not been able to
manage Mr. Burmistone, and she was not at all sure that she had managed
Octavia Bassett.

She entered the dining-room with an ominous frown on her forehead.

At the end of the table, opposite her own seat, was a vacant chair, and
her frown deepened when she saw it.

"Where is Miss Gaston?" she demanded of the servant.

Before the man had time to reply, the door opened, and a girl came in
hurriedly, with a somewhat frightened air.

"I beg pardon, grandmamma dear," she said, going to her seat quickly. "I
did not know you had come home."

"We have a dinner-hour," announced her ladyship, "and _I_ do not
disregard it."

"I am very sorry," faltered the culprit.

"That is enough, Lucia," interrupted Lady Theobald; and Lucia dropped her
eyes, and began to eat her soup with nervous haste. In fact, she was glad
to escape so easily.

She was a very pretty creature, with brown eyes, a soft white skin, and
a slight figure with a reed-like grace. A great quantity of brown hair
was twisted into an ugly coil on the top of her delicate little head;
and she wore an ugly muslin gown of Miss Chickie's make. For some time
the meal progressed in dead silence; but at length Lucia ventured to
raise her eyes.

"I have been walking in Slowbridge, grandmamma," she said, "and I met Mr.
Burmistone, who told me that Miss Bassett has a visitor--a young lady
from America."

Lady Theobald laid her knife and fork down deliberately.

"Mr. Burmistone?" she said. "Did I understand you to say that you stopped
on the roadside to converse with Mr. Burmistone?"

Lucia colored up to her delicate eyebrows and above them.

"I was trying to reach a flower growing on the bank," she said, "and he
was so kind as to stop to get it for me. I did not know he was near at
first. And then he inquired how you were--and told me he had just heard
about the young lady."

"Naturally!" remarked her ladyship sardonically. "It is as I anticipated
it would be. We shall find Mr. Burmistone at our elbows upon all
occasions. And he will not allow himself to be easily driven away. He is
as determined as persons of his class usually are."

"O grandmamma!" protested Lucia, with innocent fervor. "I really do not
think he is--like that at all. I could not help thinking he was very