Lady Verner came to the door of the Court to receive Miss Tempest.
In the old Indian days of Lady Verner, she and Sir Lionel had been close and intimate friends of Colonel and Mrs.Tempest.Subsequently Mrs.
Tempest had died, and their only daughter had been sent to a clergyman's family in England for her education--a very superior place, where six pupils only were taken.

But she was of an age to leave it now, and Colonel Tempest, who contemplated soon being home, had craved of Lady Verner to receive her in the interim.
"Lionel," said his mother to him, "you must stop here for the rest of the day, and help to entertain her." "Why, what can I do towards it ?" responded Lionel.
"You can do something.

You can talk.

They have got Decima into her room, and I must be up and down with her.

I don't like leaving Lucy alone the first day she is in the house; she will take a prejudice against it.