thought that she would not disturb. He was an Etonian, and how fall of remembrances must all be around him.
Presently two or three boys met them running, and were passing them, when Marion exclaimed, 'There is Lionel!' 'Lyddell!' called Edmund, and one of them stopped, so taken by surprise that Marian was for a moment horrified by thinking she had mistaken him; but the next glance re-assured her, for she knew Lionel's way of standing, and his hat pulled far over his forehead.
'Lionel,' said she, 'where is Gerald?'
'Hallo! You here!' said he, wheeling round so that the light might not be in his eyes, and shading them with one hand while he tried to make out Edmund, and gave his other hand to Marian.
'How did you come here? Are any of the people at home here?'
'No, this is my cousin Edmund. I am come with the Marchmonts.'
'You have quite forgotten me,' said Edmund, shaking hands.
'Not if I could see you,' said Lionel, frowning at the light, as he looked up.
'O, Lionel, how bad your eyes are!' exclaimed Marion.
'I have just been reading, and there is such a _hideous_ sunshine to-day,' said Lionel.
'And where is Gerald?'
'I'll go and fetch him.'
'Where is he?'
'I'll find him,' and off he ran, with a fresh pull of his hat over his forehead to keep off the hideous sunshine. The Marchmonts came up at the moment, and were told who he was, and that he was gone to find Gerald. Edmund asked what was the matter with his eyes.
'They are never very good,' said Marian. 'Reading and strong light always hurt them.'
'Has he had any advice?'
'The surgeon at Oakworthy looked at them last Christmas, when the snow dazzled them, but he did not think there was much amiss with them. It was always so. But where can Gerald be?'
In the space of about five minutes, Gerald and Lionel appeared, and the former came up to them alone, with a look which had more of shyness than of pleasure, and his greeting, while more courteous, was less open and cordial than Lionel's had been. They all went together to the house of the boys' tutor, who had also been Edmund's; there was a great maze of talking and introductions: Lady Marchmont made herself very charming to the mistress of the house: Edmund and the tutor disappeared together, and did not come back till the others had nearly finished a most hospitable luncheon; after which the visitors set out to see all that there was time to see, and Marian caused Gerald to fetch Lionel to accompany them.
Lionel walked with Edmund and Marian, but Gerald on the other hand attached himself to Lord and Lady Marchmont, talking to them freely and pleasantly, answering Selina's questions, much to her amusement and satisfaction, and Lord Marchmont comparing notes with him, as old Etonians delight to do with 'the sprightly race, disporting' for the time being, on the 'margen green' of Father Thames. A particularly lively, pleasant, entertaining, well-mannered boy was Gerald, but, all the time, Marian was feeling that he was holding aloof both from her and Edmund, never allowing either of them the opportunity of speaking to him alone, for even a minute; and his manner, whenever Edmund either spoke to him or looked at him, was such as to betray to her that he was ill at ease.
Thus it was while they viewed the chapel, the court, with what Selina was pleased to call 'Henry's holy shade,' the upper school, the hundred steps, the terrace, and beautiful S. George's, with its gorgeous banners and carved stalls, and blazoned shields, that glimpse into the Gothic world of chivalry and romance; and in the midst of it that simple flat
