A ring at the front-door almost immediately followed their arrival.

'Encore?' asked Philip, looking at Laura with a sort of displeased
surprise.

'Unfortunately, yes,' said Laura, drawing aside.

'One of my uncle's family parties,' said Philip. 'I wish I had not
brought Thorndale. Laura, what is to be done to prevent the tittering
that always takes place when Amy and those Harpers are together?'

'Some game?' said Laura. He signed approval; but she had time to say
no more, for her father and mother came down, and some more guests
entered.

It was just such a party that continually grew up at Hollywell, for Mr.
Edmonstone was so fond of inviting, that his wife never knew in the
morning how many would assemble at her table in the evening. But she
was used to it, and too good a manager even to be called so. She liked
to see her husband enjoy himself in his good-natured, open-hearted way.
The change was good for Charles, and thus it did very well, and there
were few houses in the neighbourhood more popular than Hollywell.

The guests this evening were Maurice de Courcy, a wild young Irishman,
all noise and nonsense, a great favourite with his cousin, Mr.
Edmonstone; two Miss Harpers, daughters of the late clergyman, good-
natured, second-rate girls; Dr. Mayerne, Charles's kind old physician,
the friend and much-loved counsellor at Hollywell, and the present
vicar, Mr. Ross with his daughter Mary.