"I can honestly say," rejoined his companion, "that, if that is how the case stands, I do hope you'll be successful."
Having arrived at this amicable and highly satisfactory conclusion, they realised that in the earnestness of their discussion they had not noticed the lapse of time.
"Dear me, it must be getting late. I trust we're not far from the Hall," said Lady Isabelle.
"To tell you the truth, I don't know just where we are," he replied.
They were standing in a thick plantation at the time, through which meandered the little path they were following.
"There's rising ground ahead, however," he continued, "and, I think, a clearing."
This proved to be the case, and when they had gained the little knoll they saw, nearly in front of them, across a slight valley, bordered on either side by wide stretches of fields and pasture-land, the Hall.
"It doesn't look to be half a mile distant, but I doubt the wisdom of trying a short cut," he said, "We'd much better keep to our path."
Their prudence had its own reward, for they had not been walking five minutes before they encountered a peasant, who, with more good nature than brevity, directed their steps in a way that was too plainly not a short cut. However, there was nothing for it now but to push on, and though they walked rapidly, it was a long time before they reached the Hall.
Unkind fate prompted them on their arrival to venture into the drawing-room in search of a belated cup of tea, and, to their dismay, they found the apartment, which should have been deserted at this hour, tenanted solely by the Dowager, who had evidently been awaiting their return.