Mr Gwynne rose and made his bow, and motioned to a seat in his usually nervous manner.
'How do you do, Mr Gwynne? Don't you know me?' said the colonel, standing up before him.
'I beg your pardon—no—I do not think I have ever—impossible! It cannot be my godson, Gwynne Vaughan?'
'The very same!' said the colonel. 'I only came down last night, and this is the first place I have visited.'
'I am very glad to see you, my dear fellow,' said Mr Gwynne, absolutely rising from his chair.
'And this was what the bells were ringing for last night?' said Freda, looking flushed and handsome.
'In spite of my poverty they did me that honour,' said the colonel. 'I heard the old place was likely to be let again, and so ran down to have a look at it first, and beat up my old friends. It was years ago that I went, a youth of nineteen, into the army, and twelve since I have been here, and I have been all the world over since then; but I come back and find everything much as I left it.'
'But surely you will not go away again?' said Mr Gwynne.
'I am not rich enough to keep up the old place as it ought to be kept, and the debts are not half wiped off yet, so I don't mean to settle down at present.'
'But a little economy and that sort of thing would soon clear the property. You had better settle down.'