Wishing to spare his young wife all fatigue and embarrassment, Lord Arleigh had not dispatched the news of his marriage home, so that no one at Beechgrove expected to see Lady Arleigh.

He sent at once for the housekeeper, a tall, stately dame, who came into the dining-room looking in unutterable amazement at the beautiful, blushing young face.
"Mrs.Chatterton," he said, "I wish to introduce you to my wife, Lady Arleigh." The stately dame curtesied almost to the ground.
"Welcome home, my Lady," she said, deferentially.

"If I had known that your ladyship was expected I would have made more befitting preparations." "Nothing could be better--you have everything in admirable order," responded Lord Arleigh, kindly.
Then the housekeeper turned with a bow to her master.
"I did not know that you were married, my lord," she said.
"No, Mrs.Chatterton; for reasons of my own, I hurried on my marriage.
No one shall lose by the hurry, though"-- which she knew meant a promise of handsome bounty.
Presently the housekeeper went with Lady Arleigh to her room.
The grandeur and magnificence of the house almost startled her.

She felt more like Lady Burleigh than ever, as she went up the broad marble staircase and saw the long corridors with the multitude of rooms.
"His lordship wrote to tell me to have all the rooms in the western wing ready," said Mrs.Chatterton; "but he did not tell why.

They are splendid rooms, my lady--large, bright and cheerful.