"I might have been miles away, and you'd have had all your journey for nothing." "My dear, I'm staying with the people at Cleeve Castle, and I thought I'd just give 'em the slip for an hour or two and take you by surprise," answered the old lady as she sat down.

"No, you needn't ring--I ordered tea as soon as I came in.

They just bore me out of my life, you see, and they've got a pack o' riffraff staying with 'em that I don't know how to sit in the same room with.

But who's your young friend over there?
Why don't you introduce him ?" "I beg your pardon!" said St Aubyn.

"Mr Austin Trevor, a near neighbour of mine.